FAQs

A small, proposed increase to general rates in the Clarence Valley to fund important environmental initiatives identified in adopted plans and strategies.

Each year, councils are only allowed to increase rates by a small amount set by the government (called the "rate peg"). A Special Variation is when a council asks for permission to raise rates by more than that amount.

An increase in Council’s revenue through a Special Variation represents an average rate rise of $35 for the year, or on average of 67 cents a week, per ratepayer. This is also based on land value.

Every year after, it will be retained in the rate base, becoming part of the general rates and will increase with the annual rate peg. 

The SRV will help fund important environmental projects across the Clarence Valley. A recent review of Council’s plans identified 113 environmental activities the community expects to see delivered but does not have the capacity to fund or resource.

These projects range from bush regeneration, environmental monitoring, biodiversity planning, pollution control, riverbank and waterway management, coastal protection, climate adaptation, and community education.

A council might apply for a Special Variation when they need extra money for things like:

• Maintaining or improving local services
• Building new infrastructure (like roads, footpaths, or community buildings)
• Dealing with unexpected financial pressures (such as storm recovery or funding shortfalls)

If the proposed rate increase does not eventuate, the 113 identified activities will not go ahead until other funding is found, whether that be in grants or reduction in other services.

No. The Special Variation does not affect service charges such as water, sewer, Waste and Stormwater Drainage.

The increase will be included in your Ordinary Rate, based on land value. It will not appear as a separate line item. 

If you are concerned about the financial impact of a rate increase, we have a Financial Hardship Policy to assist ratepayers - https://www.clarence.nsw.gov.au/Council/Governance/Policies/Hardship-rates-and-charges-policy

Council is committed to transparency and accountability.

Funds raised through the ESV will be held in a dedicated reserve and spent only on environmental projects.

Each month, a financial report is presented at the Ordinary Council Meeting, outlining all Council income and expenditure. This will include an acquittal of the reserve fund and what projects the funds have contributed towards. 

In addition to these monthly reports, Council is also required to submit regular updates on Special Variations. We are continuing to report on the SRV approved in 2017/2018.

The Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee (ARIC) (an independent body) also plays a key role by reviewing the annual financial statements and monitoring ongoing audits, particularly in the environmental area.

There will be future plans and strategies with obligations to deliver environmental projects both by council and the NSW Government. Future plans will respond to changing legislative requirements, environmental needs and community needs. In addition, adaptation to the effects of climate change e.g. sea level rise, adds further complexity and cost to environmental management actions needed beyond the 10-year action plan. 

The community have told us how important the natural environment is to their work, life and play and as such the high value apportioned to the environment has increased the expectation of council to better manage the natural environment and outcomes above the current activity.  There will be continued demands on the 10 year action plan for council to pursue a range of environmental projects and actions that can utilise the additional funding raised through increased income realised through the SV.

All 75 environmental projects were assessed against 15 criteria from Council’s Sustainability Action Plan to determine where funding will provide greatest benefit. As future plans and strategies are adopted and new environmental projects identified priorities will need to be re-assessed.

Without extra funding over and above funding from internal reserves and the proposed Environmental Levy all 75 projects cannot be completed. Each year available funds will be allocated to priority projects and lower priority projects will often not be able to be completed. Council staff will apply for additional external funding to assist completion of lower priority projects.

The projects are:

• Review Coastline CMP 
• Landowner collaboration for conservation zoning 
• Biodiversity assessment and VMPs for CVC land (for offsetting and income)
• Tree canopy analysis 
• Floodgate management for fish passage 
• Landowner collaboration for wetland conservation 
• Vegetation clearing compliance 
• Coastal habitat restoration (Iluka)
• Weed management and coastal habitat restoration (Hickey Island)
• Coastal habitat restoration (Pilot Hill)
• Coastal habitat restoration (Lovers Point/Pippi Beach)
• Coastal habitat restoration (Angourie)
• Dune fencing and coastal habitat restoration (Brooms Head Reserve)
• Coastal habitat restoration (Brooms Head)
• Coastal habitat restoration(Brooms Head Back Beach)
• Coastal habitat restoration (Sandon)
• Weed management and coastal habitat restoration (Minnie Water)
• Coastal habitat restoration (Diggers Headland)
• Weed management and coastal habitat restoration (Wooli)
• Riparian Assessment LGA-wide 
• Education for builders on soil/erosion management 
• DCP provisions for environmental buffers 
• Environmental research subsidy 
• Habitat corridor planning 
• Funding on-ground works by landowners 
• Water quality monitoring LGA wide 
• Implement Alumy Creek Management Plan 
• Community education on esturaries and management 
• Community education on native vegetation management 
• Acid Sulfate Soil management
• Weed management (Iluka Foreshore)
• Weed management  (Lake Cakora) 
• Weed management (Wooli)
• Enhance waterway access (coastline) 
• Beachwatch monitoring 
• Lake Cakora entrance management strategy 
• Produce and distribute biodiversity education information
• Environmental weeds audit on floodplain/estuary areas 
• Ulmarra riverbank monitoring
• Illegal dumping detection and compliance 
• Support Landcare - small grant
• Road design and management to reduce road kill 
• Algae monitoring (Angourie) 
• Rehabilitate roadside areas 
• Improve fish passage at road crossings
• Assess wood environmental weeds adjacent to HCV lands 

Identified environmental projects fall within the scope of Councils responsibility and they have been identified from adopted plans and strategies. Some projects may be of interest to state and federal government agencies and partnership opportunities will be sought and explored where practical to enhance project outcomes and benefits.

Council supports progress of community consultation on the Environmental Levy. Council considered a detailed report on the proposed funding of environmental projects, including a SV, at it’s June 2025 meeting. The report can be read here (link). Council will consider a further report after the community consultation period (scheduled to be in November) and determine whether it submits an application for a SV to IPART.

The main funding opportunities come through the NSW Environmental Trust program, particularly the Restoration and Rehabilitation Grant, Environmental Education grants, the NSW Coast and Estuaries Grant Parogram, the Crown Reserve Improvement Fund, and the NSW Environmental Trust. Other opportunities include the NSW Community Building Partnership program,  Healthy Cities Landcare grants and opportunistic funding following natural disasters. Council also currently receives funding from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water of NSW.

Yes. The Great Koala National Park is a NSW Government proposal that applies to land that is currently designated as State Forest estate. The environmental projects that need funding and have been identified by Council do not apply to land in any State Forest or land in the Great Koala National Park.

No. While the Great Koala National Park is proposed to provide benefits to koalas and a wide variety of flora and fauna the establishment of the new Park will not replace the benefit proposed to be obtained from implementing the identified environmental projects. The projects identified by Council are not proposed to occur on land in the area that will become the Great Koala National Park.