FAQ

The Council plans for service provision into the future, reviewing what services it provides and how much money is available to deliver those services. 

The Operational Plan provides details about what the Council will be delivering in the following financial year and how much it will be spending on providing these services.  It is part of the four-year Delivery Program that sets out four-year priorities and commitments that the Council is responding to.  

The Council is also required to report back to the community on the progress being made in implementing these plans.

More information on the Council's Integrated Plans can be found on Council's website www.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/yourcouncil/integratedplanningforservices

Outline of plan and key content

Section 1 – Introduction includes:

• A message from the Mayor and General Manager focusing on the Council’s four year commitments;
• The Council’s Vision, Mission and Values and Organisational Structure;
• An overview of the Delivery Program / Operational Plan and the Integrated Planning and Reporting Framework; and
• Some general information about the organisation and the City.

Section 2 – Resourcing the Delivery Program includes:

• Information on the local government resourcing context;
• Key information on the proactive approach of the Council in addressing it’s financial challenges through the implementation of the six financial strategies for financial sustainability; and
• Information on the special rate variation and Fit for the Future priorities.

Section 3 –Top Priority Actions by Key Direction / Service Summaries

• The Council recently reviewed and discussed the Four Year Priority Commitments and Outcomes as summarised on pages 11-13 of Enclosure 1. These Priority Commitments and Outcomes set the strategic direction of the Council resulting in the development of four year priorities that the Council will focus on over 2013-2017 (refer to pages 32-35 of Enclosure 1).
• This section also outlines the planned actions for 2016-2017 for each Council service and available budget for each service.

Section 4 – Assets Works Program

• The Asset Works Program for the remaining year of the Council term is based on the principles of asset works programing outlined on page 118 of the Plan, and shows the allocation of special rate variation funding.  

Section 5 – Financial Information

• This section presents Budget Estimates, the Rates and Annual Charges Statement and the Borrowings Statement.
• Information is presented that reiterates the Council’s sound financial viability, the key financial challenges facing the Council, the implementation of the six strategies for financial sustainability, and the Fit for the Future context.
• The 2016-2017 Budget Estimates present a balanced cash budget.
• The budget will deliver an operating result deficit of -$6.1M in 2016-2017.
• A table is included to show where the special rate variation (Stage 2) funding has been allocated in 2016-2017.
• The 2016-2017 rates statement presents what rates will be charged, and the estimated revenue collected through rates. The structure of the waste charges has changed with the introduction of the green bin collection service.
• The Borrowings Statement identifies no new loans for 2016-2017 except if a business case is separately approved.

Fees and Charges

A summary of new or changed fees and charges, including those increased by more than CPI, is included in the Fees and Charges 2016-2017 document. Key points to note:

• Fees have generally increased 2.5% taking into account statutory requirements and the community’s ability to pay.

• Aquatic and Leisure Centres
• Building Certification
• Burials and Ashes Placement
• Commercial Activities
• Community Development
• Cultural Development (including the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre and Blue Mountains Theatre and Community Hub)
• Economic Development and Tourism (including Visitor Information Centres)
• Emergency Management
• Environmental Health and Regulatory Compliance
• Family Day Care
• Land Use Management
• Libraries and Information
• Natural Environment
• Sport and Recreation
• Town Centres
• Transport and Public Access
• Water Resource Management
• Waste Resource Management

The Council also provides Civic Leadership / Good Governance services which includes:

• Those services that deliver strategic and governance functions that support the council in complying with State laws and regulations in relation to transparency and accountability, such as City-wide Strategic Planning, Corporate Strategic Planning and Reporting, Governance and Risk, Asset Planning; and
• Those services that provide operational support for external service delivery such as payroll, fleet, accounting and information technology support.

A key part of service delivery provided by Blue Mountains City Council is the provision, renewal and maintenance of over $1 billion worth of built facilities and infrastructure and natual assets.

The Council provides and manages the following natural assets, built facilities and infrastructure:

• Council managed bushland and creeklines including Endangered Ecological Communities and Threatened Species
• Cemeteries (including fencing, pathways and garden beds)
• Buildings for child care and preschools
• Tourist Parks, residential buildings, commercial buildings
• Public halls and community centre buildings
• Buildings for Rural Fire Service and Emergency Services and fire trails
• Buildings for cultural development (including the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre and the Blue Mountains Theatre and Community Hub), monuments, public art
• Buildings for libraries
• Depots and administration buildings
• Aquatic and fitness centres, parks (including public toilets and shelters), sportgrounds, playing courts, skate parks, walking tracks and lookouts
• Visitor Information Centres and Echo Point Lookout and associated infrastructure
• Street furniture, litter bins, community notice boards, garden beds, public toilets
• Guardrails, signs, marked crossings, round-a-bouts, pedestrian refuges
• Roads (sealed and unsealed), footpaths, bridges, carparks, bus shelters
• Kerb & gutter, pipes, pits, open channels, stormwater quality improvement devices
• Waste management facilities

The Council is planning to spend almost $112 million in 2016-2017.

The Council's income is made up of:

• Rates and annual charges: $67.8 million
• Regulatory fees: $2.1 million
• Discretionary fees: $16.2 million
• Interest income: $1.0 million
• Other revenue: $2.8 million
• Profit on sale of assets: $250,000
• Operating grants & contributions: $12.1 million
• Capital grants & contributions: $460,000
• Transfers from reserves: $7.7 million
• Sale of plant: $1.6 million