Budget 2024

The period for community consultation on the 2024/25 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 2024/25 budget will focus on high levels of service and major capital works projects in the next financial year.

  The budget acknowledges increasing costs and the likelihood of fewer government grants, while still meeting the needs of the community over the next 12 months.

  Council’s draft 2024/25 spending and income plans are on exhibition for community comment for 28 days.

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

  • a modest deficit of $555,000, similar to last year’s deficit in the general fund
  • interest income growing to $9.9 million through agile negotiation, an increase of $1.6 million from the previous year

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

  “There’s been a slight increase in the state government’s rate cap of 4.7 per cent, up from 3.4 per cent, which acknowledges the increasing costs associated with delivering services,” Cr Hamling said.

  “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 should offer.”

  Under the draft budget, rates, together with fees and charges, will rise by 4.7 per cent:

  • Average residential rates and charges will increase by $2.47 per week or $128.20 per year.
  • Average business rates and charges will increase by $3.37 per week or $175.19 per year.

  Cr Hamling said an important part of this year’s draft budget was continuing support for pensioners.

  “Around 2700 of Orange’s 16,000 residences are eligible to receive a rebate of 10 percent of their total bills, which gives an average discount of around $550 per year for rates and water accounts,” Cr Hamling said.

  The Council pensioner rebate can also be topped up by a NSW Government rebate.

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

  “We’re a growing community with a need for more community infrastructure, so it’s important that the Council has a number of major projects on the draft budget for the coming year,” Cr Duffy said.

  The capital works budget totals $83 million.

  Major capital projects to begin or continue during the 2024/25 financial year include:

  • Sports precinct $60m
  • Conservatorium $33.5m
  • Lake Canobolas projects $1.6m
  • Road construction $8.2m
  • Airport LED lights $396k
  • Fleet replacement $3.5m
  • Building renewals $700k
  • Footpath construction $610k
  • Smart water meter program $800k
  • Water mains replacements $880k
  • Bloomfield water decommission $350k
  • Sewage Treatment Plant inlet works $8.3m

  The draft budget will be on exhibition for community comment until 5 June. A report on community submissions will be brought to the 21 June Council meeting when the budget and feedback will be considered.

  Visit the YourSay Orange website at https://yoursay.orange.nsw.gov.au/budget-2024 where you can:

  • find out more about the details of the budget

  • leave a comment about any aspect of the budget

  “I encourage everyone to head to the website and share their opinions on the draft budget. We want to hear from residents about the services and projects that matter to them. It’s important to have your say,” Cr Hamling said.

• Orange pensioners benefit from Council rates rebate

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  Pensioners in Orange will benefit from more than $1.68 million in rate reductions under this year’s draft Council budget.

  The draft budget for 2024/25 is currently on exhibition for community comment.

  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 2024/25 will benefit Orange pensioners by $1,188,650 ($653,650 state - $535,000 OCC).

  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 $495,230.

  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.”