In Wednesday's Ordinary Meeting of Council, councillors voted on one of the most important motions during their council term.

After the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) released its assessment of all NSW council's Fit for the Future applications, councils, including the Wingecarribee Shire Council, had to put together improvement proposals for IPART to assess.

Wingecarribee Council was one of 52 councils deemed fit for the future. However, this was based on an application for a Special Rate Variation (SRV) to ensure council meets the Fit for the Future benchmarks set out by the state government.

On Wednesday night councillors chose the Improve option which, if approved by IPART, would see a SRV of 9.25 per cent each year for three years and 12.15 per cent in the fourth year.

Mayor Larry Whipper said the decision was about "survival" and it was time for council to "bite the bullet".

"We're fighting really hard in the trenches, not because we want to, but because we have to," Cr Whipper said.

Councillors Duncan Gair and Graham McLaughlin successfully moved the motion for council to adopt the Improve option, but Councillor Garry Turland put forward an amendment for council to adopt option two, Maintain.

This option would result in a 38.42 per cent rate increase across four years.

"I think the community is paying an enormous amount of money at this point,"

"The Improve option would be fantastic, but we're stretching residents a little too much."

Mayor Larry Whipper and Councillor John Uliana voted for this amendment, but it was lost with five councillors voting against it.

In his support for the Improve option, Cr Gair said, "no one wanted rates to rise", but there was an expectation from the community for council to improve and maintain assets and services.

"We have proven that through strong financial and fiscal responsibility that we are in a position not like a lot of other councils, that we can maintain our standard, but to do that we have to lift our rates," he said.

When put to the vote, all councillors except for Councillor Holly Campbell voted for the Improve option.

Cr Campbell said there was another option council consider, which was to sell off non-essential community assets, indentify additional organisational improvements, reduce service levels and increase council service charges.

"Governments never ever look at themselves and how they can improve what they're doing," she said.

"If we don't run with some commercial sensibility, of course we will always be chasing our tails."

Council's general manager Ann Prendergast said the application would be submitted to IPART by Monday.

The final decision from IPART is expected in May this year.

Should the application be approved, the year-one increase would be applied to council's 2016/17 first quarterly rates instalment due July this year.