How Wollongong council's new 2018 budget will hit hip pockets

This is despite a relatively small rise in rate charges and waste costs, which the council has proposed keeping to a minimum.

Land rates are proposed to increase 2.3 per cent, which is in line with the statewide rate cap.

Based on the city’s average unimproved land value of $290,000, rate charges will go up by $33.26 to $1479 for the year.

Domestic waste charges will rise by 1.5 per cent, meaning the average ratepayer will pay $6 more for the 2018/19 year, with a 120 litre bin costing $411.

Aside from rates, residents will also be hit with some increases in fees and charges, which will generally go up by 2.25 per cent.

Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery said fees and rate rises had been kept down thanks to the “heavy lifting” done during the previous council.

“When we came to council 2011 we were going backwards at a rate of about $20 million a year,” he said.

He noted the council was now back under the state’s rate cap, and was investing just under $100 million into capital works in the next year.

“The last council, to its credit took the pain of going for a special rate variation. And even though it did hurt, the people of Wollongong wore those rate increases and that has brought our income up and that’s why we’re in the position we are today.”