Wollongong garbage charges to rise by 11pc, council rates to rise by less

Waste collection charges are slated to rise by 11.55 per cent, up to $498.05 for a 120 litre bin for the year, with 240 litre bins costing $945, and taking it to the tip is also going to cost more.

While the garbage collection increase will be almost triple the rate of inflation, council rates for Wollongong will rise by 5 per cent, significantly less than the rise residents of some other areas in NSW have been slugged.

Waste disposal at the Whytes Gully tip will also be hit with fee increases, with fees for general waste tipping to rise to $463 per tonne - up from $426 last year - for both household and commercial waste customers.

This was to counter a fall in money raised from commercial tippers in an increasingly competitive waste sector, the council report said, and to cover anticipated waste facility works which would need to be paid for, including building new cells at Whytes Gully.

Next Monday's meeting of Wollongong City Council will consider some large slabs of intent: The Draft Delivery Program 2022-2026 and Draft Operational Plan 2024-2025. These include the draft council Budget for 2024-25, the Infrastructure Delivery Plan for the next four years, and the new council fees and charges for 2024-25.

Wollongong's Integrated Transport Strategy will also be considered.

Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery said the council, like the city's residents, is experiencing rises in the costs of doing business.

"This meeting has a big agenda and the items being discussed really set the tone and direction for the future,'' he said.

"There are actions around the delivery of community cultural development programs, education, exhibitions and forums, and preparation of a coastal management program for our open coast.

"Our infrastructure investment also includes upgrades to Warrawong's CBD and more than 175 road upgrades across the city.

"There is no doubt, just like many of our residents, we're experiencing the impacts of tougher economic conditions. This is particularly evident when we're considering the cost of resources, and we've kept this in mind as we've worked through these documents."

Residential rates will be based on the land value from July 2022, which included the "astronomic" rises in property values from the Valuer General that year, but the rate rise for residents is capped at 5 per cent by the Independent Pricing and Review Tribunal (IPART).

For businesses, the Wollongong Mall Special Rate and the City Centre Special Rate are set to be dropped for good, after not being applied last year.

This extra rate charge had been levied on businesses in the Wollongong city centre to cover extra expenses in crime prevention and community safety strategies. This will now be paid by all residents.

"While these services will continue, the costs will now be defrayed across the whole city and all rate categories," the report states.

The waiver of the outdoor dining charge, which started in 2020 to help food businesses with the impact of the COVIC-19 pandemic, is also proposed to be extended for another year. The council's report estimates that this would cost WCC $192,000.

Under the Local Government Act, councils must not take more revenue from charges for domestic waste management than are necessary to cover the reasonable cost to the council of providing those services. The rises in fees are to cover higher expenses, the Draft Budget states.

The council's spending would include:

If approved by the council the plans will go on public exhibition.