WHILE neighbouring councils have announced significant rate increases, Southern Highlands residents can breathe a sigh of relief for now.
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This week the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) released its decisions on special rate variation applications made by 22 of the 152 councils in NSW.
Special rate variations allow council to increase its general income by more than the rate peg which is set at 2.4 per cent for 2015/16.
Wingecarribee Shire Council did not apply for a special rate variation this year.
However, in a Fit for the Future information session earlier in the year, council's general manager Ann Prendergast said council could not meet the Fit for the Future benchmarks with its current funding and would apply for a special rate variation in its Fit for the Future submission.
"Any changes that will emerge from the Fit for the Future reforms are likely to take effect from September 2016," Ms Prendergast said.
"Council will follow IPART's process and timeframe for the application of a special rate variation which would apply from July 1, 2016."
However, this year council did apply for and had approved a crown land adjustment.
Crown land adjustments allow council to permanently increase its allowable general income for parcels of former crown land that has become rateable.
"The purpose of the crown land income adjustment is to provide councils with a way to adjust their income when non-rateable crown land becomes rateable as it cannot be claimed through the annual Special Schedule 9 Permissible Income Work-papers," Ms Prendergast said.
"In this instance it relates only to the Residential Renwick rating category."
Wingecarribee Council was one of three councils approved by IPART to have a crown land adjustment.
IPART approved a 3.89 per cent rate increase for Shoalhaven Council and a 50.72 per cent increase over four years for Wollondilly Council.