Budget 2023

The period for community consultation on the 2023 Draft Budget has now  concluded. A report on the community response will be presented to Council at a meeting in June 2023.

• Draft Council budget gets on with the job

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  Orange City Council’s draft budget for the next financial year aims to deliver the infrastructure needed to meet the demands of a growing regional city, while demonstrating evidence of the Council’s sound fiscal management.

  The 16 May Council meeting decided to put the draft 2023/24 spending and income plans on exhibition for community comment for 28 days.

  The Council’s sound fiscal management can be seen in:

  • a reduction of the operating deficit from $2.4 million last year to $500K this year, a move towards balanced budgets in the years ahead
  • interest income growing from $2 million last year to $8.9 million this year through agile negotiation.

  Orange Mayor Jason Hamling said the budget would continue to face serious challenges.

  “We know that residents and businesses are already facing tough times with their own cost-of-living challenges, but the alternative of not increasing rates would be to rob the community of the projects and services that a viable local council can offer,” Cr Jason Hamling said.

  “The most serious task is the decision to limit proposed rate increases to the state government mandated cap of 3.7% and keep increases in fees & charges for Council services to 5%, all against an expected inflation backdrop of over 7%.”

  Council too is facing cost-of-living questions, including:

  • A 34% rise in electricity costs with gas prices also up
  • The elimination of the former rebate from the NSW Government to cover the Emergency Service Levy. This is expected to lead to a $170K shortfall.

  The NSW Government’s Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) have set the maximum allowable rate increase at 3.7%. This rate cap means:

  • average residential rates in Orange will increase by $2.09 per week or $109.19 per year
  • average business rates in Orange will increase by $2.57 per week or $133.64 per year.

  At the 16 May meeting, as well as making the decision to put the draft budget on exhibition, Council made one change on the night to spend $600K, (up from $408K) on footpaths. Accordingly, these budget documents you can download here don’t reflect that change. The extra footpath spend will be from capital, so it won’t change the draft budget’s operating deficit.

  Orange City Council’s Finance Committee Chair Cr Kevin Duffy said he was pleased the budget was in good shape.

  “Despite spending on a number of capital projects in the coming year, it’s a good sign that the bottom line for the Council’s consolidated funds, which includes water and sewer funds as well as the operating fund, has a projected surplus of $6.4 million,” Cr Kevin Duffy said.

  With this budget, the Council will begin on continue to work on projects including:

  • Sporting Precinct development $60m*
  • Orange Regional Conservatorium $25m*
  • Footpath rehabilitation and construction $600k
  • Huntley Road further upgrades $1.1m
  • Shiralee water supply expansion $6.9m
  • Lake Canobolas upgrade $1.3m
  • Sewage Treatment Plant Inlet works $8.3M

• Orange pensioners benefit from Council rates rebate

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  Pensioners in Orange will benefit from more than $1.6 million in rate reductions under this year’s draft Council budget.

  The draft budget for 2023/24 is currently on exhibition for community comment until 13 June.

  Orange Mayor Jason Hamling said the rates rebate was an important part of the Council income plans.

  “The state government provides for rates support for pensioners but the amount offered voluntarily by Orange City Council amounts to more than double that,” Cr Hamling said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the pensioner rebate gets overlooked among the rest of the Council’s spending plans, and I’d certainly encourage any pensioner who doesn’t know about it to find out more and apply.”

  “Last year when we did some publicity about the rebate, there was an upswing in the numbers who applied. I’m hoping that will happen again.”

  The NSW Government’s (statutory) pensioner rebate is made up of:

  • a 50% rebate on rates and domestic waste management charges to a maximum of $250, and
  • a 50% rebate on water and sewer charges to a maximum of $87.50 each.

  It is estimated that this statutory rebate for 2023/24 will benefit Orange pensioners by $1,181,700 ($650,970 State - $530,730 Council).

  In addition, Orange City Council offers a further local (voluntary) rebate to eligible pensioners, which varies depending on when they bought their residence.

  Eligible pensioners who were owner-occupiers before 30 June 2006 receive an additional rebate worth 10% of their total rates bill. Pensioners who became owner-occupiers after this date can receive a rebate worth 5% of their total rates bill.

  The voluntary rebate is estimated to benefit ratepayers by $486,480.

  Around 2,700 of Orange’s 16,000 Orange residences are eligible to receive a rebate, which gives an average discount of around $550 per year for rates and water accounts.

  Under state regulations, eligible pensioners are someone with:

  • a Pensioner Concession Card issued by Services Australia (Centrelink) or
  • a Department of Veterans Affairs Gold Card embossed with either TPI (Totally Permanently Incapacitated) or EDA (Extreme Disablement Adjustment) and who own and occupy their residence as their sole or principal place of living.

  “The system for applying for a rebate is straightforward, and I’d encourage any eligible pensioner to find out more,” Cr Hamling said. “They only have to apply once. The form gives the Council permission to check their eligibility every year after that.”

  “If people hadn’t heard about this before and are applying for the first time, Council will also credit them this benefit for the last two years.”