The following can be attributed to Cessnock City Mayor Dan Watton:
As a Council, we have been actively preparing for any outcome on our application for a special variation of rates. We have a draft Operational Plan for 2026/27 for this scenario currently on exhibition, which was endorsed at our May meeting.
The IPART determination in itself does not resolve the serious financial challenges we face as a Council, and financial sustainability remains a top priority for our Council going forward. We will continue to communicate with the community as we progress our ongoing financial sustainability journey.
Council is currently reviewing the contents of the report and media release, which were publicly released hours earlier than IPART stated they would be in a meeting yesterday, and before we received a copy.
