At least three public workshops will be held over the next month to explain how a proposed $40-$50 jump in the average residential rate would fix Wingecarribee Shire's "catastrophic" road network.

Council on Wednesday night agreed that an 8.5 per cent rate rise above CPI was a sufficient amount to address the shire's most urgent infrastructure repairs.

The proposed hike - which will raise an extra $1 million towards asset mainentance and renewal - would be effective for five years starting from 2002/03.

Council will apply for the rate variation to New South Wales Local Government Minister Harry Woods pending the outcome of a promised extensive public consultation campaign.

Under the plan, the average residential rate would jump by as much as $50 a year.

General manager David McGowan said community "focus meetings" would be held on the issue in each of the three major towns in late April, early May.

He told councillors a further meeting would be arranged in one of the larger villages subject to demand.

Councillors at Wednesday night's debate might have been unanimous in their support of a rate rise but there was division over the extent and detail.

Crs Sara Murray, Paul Tuddenham and Peter Reynolds voted against the recommendation claiming it lacked strategic long-term vision.

"We need a strategic overhaul of our whole rating structure," Cr Reynolds said.

Cr Murray said the Minister wouldn't look favourably at a short-term fix considering the shire has $3 million in reserves.

"I don't think we've established a case," she said.

"If we went to the community with an open-ended package, we might have a different list (of infrastructure maintenance projects)."

However, the other eight councillors supported Mayor Phil Yeo's additional motion that following the community consultation phase, Council prepares a detailed financial plan.

The report, which would be furnished later this year, would include a comprehensive review of the rating structure and make an analysis of "demands attributable to growth".