Newcastle City Council Management Plan

Read this: Management Plan information sheet (50.8 KB)


Newcastle City Council

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Newcastle City Council’s draft Management Plan has been developed after consultation with the community. Council is seeking further input on the Plan, with feedback due by 27 May.
There are three parts to the Plan: Part 1 is a summary of Council’s current and proposed activities and projects; Part 2 is the detailed budget for each area of Council; and Part 3 outlines fees and charges for 2008/2009. All these documents are included in the library.
This forum is an opportunity for you to share your comments about the draft Management Plan. Council will take a ‘hands off’ approach to the debate. We will listen and collect your ideas for consideration in the final Management Plan.
This year’s draft Management Plan has been guided by three key principles; providing opportunities for early and meaningful community input, maintaining a focus on addressing the infrastructure challenge and ensuring the current Council provides a solid platform for the next Council to be elected in September.
 

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Forum

Sorted by Activity | Date

Reduce Residential Rates

VOTES
9

The cost of housing is very high and under pressure. People are under great pressure and affordable housing is a major issue. To continue to raise rates is not the answer. It hurts pensioners, tenants young home owners, and most households. Residential rates can be cut by 25% by reducing the Councills operating costs by about $12m.  

by Bigfeller 1:23pm, 29 April 2008 | 907 views | Ic_comment 51 comments

Environmental management and education

VOTES
9

Community greening, environmental education, stormwater management, ClimateCam and more. Newcastle has a reputation for being at the forefront of environmental management and education. What would you like to see Council achieve in this area over the next 18 months? 

by Samantha 1:36pm, 4 February 2008 | 1034 views | Ic_comment 46 comments

Shape the future of our city

VOTES
10

What would you like to see achieved by Newcastle City Council over the next 18 months? 

by Samantha 1:27pm, 4 February 2008 | 1020 views | Ic_comment 29 comments

Expenditure

VOTES
7

Council has a budget of $197.4 million to provide and manage our services. Are there any specific changes to expenditure you think Council should consider? 

by admin 10:51pm, 28 April 2008 | 773 views | Ic_comment 26 comments

Most valued service or facility

VOTES
8

Newcastle City Council provides dozens of distinctly different services and facilities. What service or facility do you value most and why?  

by Samantha 1:37pm, 4 February 2008 | 918 views | Ic_comment 24 comments

Is it "Drainage Mismanagement" or "Flood"

VOTES
6

A flood is when heavy rainfall causes an overflow of a natural and or man made drainage system.
Newcastle drains are constructed to design standards to cope with all but unusual events.
When drains are more ...

by Bigfeller 3:50pm, 8 May 2008 | 591 views | Ic_comment 12 comments

Council has wandered too far from its primary responsibility

VOTES
6

Newcastle City Council like lots of others in NSW has lost site of its primary function, the provision of quality infrastructure to allow for the development of a viable and dynamic city. Too much ratepayers money is spent on touchy, feely social programs that are not the responsibility of local government. Spend ratepayers money on things that benefit all ratepayers - roads, footpaths, parking facilities, streetscapes, sporting facilities and the like. 

by Dano 11:50am, 6 May 2008 | 518 views | Ic_comment 11 comments

Managing the city's infrastructure

VOTES
7

Newcastle has hundreds of kilometres of roads and footpaths, thousands of kilometres of stormwater drains and over 500 buildings. What would you like to see Council achieve in this area over the next 18 months? 

by Samantha 1:32pm, 4 February 2008 | 740 views | Ic_comment 9 comments

Better quality in elected representatives

VOTES
5

Judging on the performance of some of the current councillors, Newcastle and its civic administrators would benefit from better informed and educated councillors who are civically minded enough to be involved in all aspects of their job and not just those issues that are important to them. Perhaps all candidates need to be educated in their responsibilities and duties BEFORE they actually run for election to prevent them then turning around and complaining about or participating in poor procedural process/es. 

by Mrs Mop 4:05pm, 9 February 2008 | 803 views | Ic_comment 10 comments

Rates

VOTES
5

The draft 2008/09 budget is based on the 3.2% increase provided for under the State Government rate cap.
Two options are being considered. One option is increasing the existing base charge while option more ...

by admin 11:00pm, 28 April 2008 | 522 views | Ic_comment 9 comments

Put A Grog Curfew on The NCC Management Plan

VOTES
5

Most of us like a grog but we do not like our City damaged, violence and left filthy by excessive drinking and unruley behaviour.
Changes to The NCC Management Plan can have a major impact on the position more ...

by Bigfeller 3:06pm, 8 May 2008 | 624 views | Ic_comment 9 comments

City administration

VOTES
4

Making decisions, developing long term strategic plans, assessing development applications, collecting rates and keeping the community involved are just some of the jobs for the city administration. What would you like to see Council achieve in this area over the next 18 months? 

by Samantha 1:36pm, 4 February 2008 | 540 views | Ic_comment 5 comments

Stormwater service charges

VOTES
2

Last year, the State Government brought in new laws allowing for the introduction of a stormwater service charge. This new charge recognised the need for councils to raise funds specifically to tackle more ...

by admin 11:07pm, 28 April 2008 | 432 views | Ic_comment 6 comments

Infrastructure

VOTES
6

Last year, Council committed to increasing spending on infrastructure and asset maintenance to catch up on ‘cleaning up the city’. This objective was reflected in pre-draft consultation with many comments more ...

by admin 10:53pm, 28 April 2008 | 399 views | Ic_comment 4 comments

Where is the City Clean up money?

VOTES
5

At the community consultation workshops there was a major call to clean up the Newcastle LGA especially the CBD. The draft budget shows very little effort or expenditure. Why?  

by Bigfeller 2:09pm, 29 April 2008 | 382 views | Ic_comment 4 comments

Recreational facilities

VOTES
4

Newcastle has a huge range of recreational facilities including over 300 parks, more than a hundred playgrounds and many sporting fields. We enjoy our patrolled beaches and inland pools as well as our libraries and other cultural facilities. What would you like to see Council achieve in this area over the next 18 months? 

by Samantha 1:34pm, 4 February 2008 | 513 views | Ic_comment 4 comments

Consultation Less this Year

VOTES
3

A lot of members of the public have given up on contributing to the NCC Management Plan process this year, after being largely ignored by the Elected Council administration and the Minister last year. more ...

by Reformer 2:49pm, 28 May 2008 | 318 views | Ic_comment 4 comments

Special Rate Increase for Infrastructure Improvements

VOTES
4

In 2007/08 Council requested and the Minister approved a special rate increase on the basis that the City's infrastructure needed an extraordinary funding boost to address its deteriorating condition. more ...

by Philip 4:37pm, 19 March 2008 | 384 views | Ic_comment 3 comments

Funding for Horse Lanes

VOTES
2

We need more funding for horse lanes as well as cycleways as an answer to the imminent Global Warming City Flooding catastrophe.
We suggest diverting Ocean Baths funding to this endeavour. 

by pony 6:02pm, 13 May 2008 | 370 views | Ic_comment 4 comments

Revenue Mix

VOTES
2

Council generates income from a variety of sources including rates, grants, waste income and more. Where do you think council should focus its efforts to increase income? 

by admin 10:50pm, 28 April 2008 | 421 views | Ic_comment 3 comments

Staff Number Up Yet Again

VOTES
4

The Draft Detailed Budget Document shows that Service Unit staff have risen yet again. Up from 1028 to 1035. At a time when the community called for Council to get its house in order this increse does not seem reasonable.  

by Bigfeller 2:32pm, 29 April 2008 | 428 views | Ic_comment 2 comments

Statsistics show Management Plan not best practice

VOTES
4

From the Service Unit budgets in the Detailed Budget document (a) the net funding requirement has risen 15.5%, (b) the expenditure is up by 14%, (c) income is down by 10%.
How can this be best practice? Last years 10% rate increase was conditional on Council making major savings. Where are the savings? 

by Bigfeller 9:50am, 30 April 2008 | 473 views | Ic_comment 2 comments

Service Levels

VOTES
3

The draft Management Plan contains a number of service level variations which are changes to staffing levels of services. The proposed variations include:
• Additional staff to address increased legislative requirements. For example; OH&S,integrated planning and consultation, • Additional staff to support the expanded infrastructure improvement program, • Self-funded and income producing positions,and, • Staff previously attached to projects nowproviding ongoing services.
Do you have any comments on these proposed service level variations?  

by admin 10:55pm, 28 April 2008 | 393 views | Ic_comment 2 comments

Waste charges

VOTES
2

The domestic waste management service charge for 2008/09 is proposed to increase from $226.03 to $234.33 including the $40.35 per tonne State Government waste levy.
Do you have any comments to make in relation to the rating options proposed? 

by admin 11:02pm, 28 April 2008 | 368 views | Ic_comment 2 comments

Change the garbage methods to reduce the costs to ratepayers

VOTES
4

The domestic waste management charge is to be $234.33. It is compulsory to all residential property.
The Charge to businesses is $133.08 and they can choose to have the service.
Lets make the charge more ...

by Bigfeller 9:59pm, 29 April 2008 | 379 views | Ic_comment 1 comment

The Key Budget Consultation KPI

VOTES
3

The best way for Councillors, the DLG, the Minister and the Local Government Ombudsman and external observers to assess the effectiveness of the Community Consultation process could be to examine any more ...

by Reformer 5:28pm, 18 March 2008 | 421 views | Ic_comment 1 comment

The community & local goverment working together !!

VOTES
2

To save on costs, local goverment should start utilising the Work For The Dole Schemes, as you will find that would be a huge savings on costs of projects ( not at tradesmen prices), ie: restoration of more ...

by Your Concious 5:10pm, 25 May 2008 | 344 views | Ic_comment 1 comment

Total waste of Money Projects

VOTES
2

What I really dislike and should not be funded in the Management Plan process is the items and activities that are a gross waste of money and scarse resources. To me items of waste should be cut from the Management Plan in order to make Council operations more efficient and cost effective. 

by Bigfeller 11:06am, 31 March 2008 | 385 views | Ic_comment 1 comment

Art in the LGA

VOTES
1

Funds allocated for Art in this Management Plan should be distributed equitably across all forms of Art by the establishment of an Art Grants Fund.
Points to consider o The NRAG is only one provider more ...

by Bigfeller 6:12pm, 22 March 2008 | 376 views | Ic_comment 1 comment

Newcastle Council's support of the Environment partically Kooragang Wetlands

VOTES
1

It is good to see that council will continue to support the Kooragang Wetlands. Previous funding has provided the community with great recreational areas allowing us to picnic or fish along the river banks, and birdwatch, walk or cycle within the wonderful and various areas of Ash Island. Such places freely available to the residents of Newcastle are an important and treasured asset. Thankyou Newcastle Council 

by Bea 12:41pm, 23 May 2008 | 358 views | Ic_comment 1 comment

LGA Clean Up

VOTES
2

The new management plan and budget should incorporate funds to implement a massive improvement in the appearance of the LGA and in particular the City. We all know if you want to sell your house the first more ...

by Bigfeller 6:08pm, 22 March 2008 | 339 views | Ic_comment 0 comments

Reduce residential rates by 25%

VOTES
2

The New Management Plna should incorporate a reduction of residential rates by 25%.
Points to consider o The ability of residential rate payers to pay rates has diminished greatly over the last few more ...

by Bigfeller 5:57pm, 22 March 2008 | 331 views | Ic_comment 0 comments