Roads are a clear priority for MidCoast Council, with additional funds allocated to deliver on this high community priority in their annual Operational Plan and budget for 2025-26.
Council has formally adopted its four-year Delivery Program for 2025-2029, alongside the annual Operational Plan and budget for the 2025-26 financial year at Monday's Council meeting.
The budget provides a boost for local roads, with Council redirecting funds from other operational areas to allocate an additional $6.7 million to roadworks in 2025-26, bringing total road investment to $68.47 million over the year.
These additional funds will enable staff to do more road maintenance and reduce the rate of deterioration.
MidCoast Council Mayor, Claire Pontin acknowledged that this would not be enough to fix everything across the 3,600km stretch of MidCoast roads.
Like many other Council areas, maintenance and replacement of roads has been underfunded over decades, making the road surface more susceptible to potholing and degradation.
"Over coming years, we will continue to prioritise roadwork, looking for every possible saving and stretching our budget as far as possible," said Mayor Pontin.
"Along with roadwork, our strategic priorities also include financial sustainability, and customer experience.
"These three areas have received special focus in our Delivery Program 2025-2029."
The Operational Plan 2025-26 details the activities for the financial year, guided by the annual budget. Council operates with a relatively small budget due to a small ratepayer base spread across a large, 10,000² km area.
The overall 2025-26 Council budget is estimated at $320 million. It includes $102 million raised through rates and $86 million from water, sewer, and waste charges.
Changes made to the documents following the 28-day public exhibition period respond to community feedback and the recent flood, including adjustments to project timelines and the addition of a high-priority project to replace a damaged section of the water supply pipeline crossing the Manning River between Bootawa Dam and Wingham Reservoirs following damage sustained during the May 2025 floods.
"The recent 1-in-500-year flood event has significantly impacted our roads, bridges and other infrastructure. This may necessitate some reprioritisation of works as more flood damage comes to light," explained Mayor Pontin.
"We are working hard to obtain the maximum funding support possible from State and Federal governments for needed repairs."
In terms of Council revenue for 2025-26, the budget applies the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal's (IPART) 3.80% rate peg to general property rates. However, this doesn't translate directly into a 3.80% increase for all ratepayers, as property valuations vary.
Waste management charges will rise by 3.80%, with standard annual fees set at $116 for properties within the collection area and $53 for those outside. Water charges will increase by 5.50%, with an access fee of $378 per standard residential meter and usage charges at $4.28 per thousand litres. Sewer charges will rise by 7%, with an annual connection fee of $1,146 for connected properties.
The full Delivery Program 2025-2029, Operational Plan 2025-26, budget details, and Council's Resourcing Strategy are available for public review at www.midcoast.nsw.gov.au/plans use www.midcoast.nsw.gov.au/plans.
