Fit for the Future

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Consultation has concluded.

The NSW Government has introduced a series of reforms for Local Government called Fit for the Future. The focus is on encouraging each council to create its own roadmap on how it will be a sustainable and efficient provider of services to the community and contribute to a stronger and more effective local government sector in NSW.

The Office of Local Government has developed four criteria against which each council will be assessed to see if they are Fit for the Future, namely:

  • Scale and Capacity
  • Sustainability
  • Effective Infrastructure and Service Management
  • Efficiency

You may have heard some discussions around councils merging, particularly in Sydney. However, Blue Mountains City Council has not been recommended to merge with neighbouring councils or for any other boundary adjustment. Instead we are looking at working more strategically with Penrith and Hawkesbury City Councils to explore the possibilities and benefits of regional cooperation. A regional alliance of the three councils could offer opportunities to do things together more effectively and efficiently in the interest of our respective communities.

By 30 June 2015 all NSW councils must make a submission to the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) showing how they are Fit for the Future. This involves reporting on Council's current and projected performance against each of the Fit for the Future criteria, and outlining strategies to improve Council's performance across all criteria over the next five years.

The NSW Government has introduced a series of reforms for Local Government called Fit for the Future. The focus is on encouraging each council to create its own roadmap on how it will be a sustainable and efficient provider of services to the community and contribute to a stronger and more effective local government sector in NSW.

The Office of Local Government has developed four criteria against which each council will be assessed to see if they are Fit for the Future, namely:

  • Scale and Capacity
  • Sustainability
  • Effective Infrastructure and Service Management
  • Efficiency

You may have heard some discussions around councils merging, particularly in Sydney. However, Blue Mountains City Council has not been recommended to merge with neighbouring councils or for any other boundary adjustment. Instead we are looking at working more strategically with Penrith and Hawkesbury City Councils to explore the possibilities and benefits of regional cooperation. A regional alliance of the three councils could offer opportunities to do things together more effectively and efficiently in the interest of our respective communities.

By 30 June 2015 all NSW councils must make a submission to the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) showing how they are Fit for the Future. This involves reporting on Council's current and projected performance against each of the Fit for the Future criteria, and outlining strategies to improve Council's performance across all criteria over the next five years.

Consultation has concluded.
  • Blue Mountains assessed as Fit for the Future

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    Blue Mountains City Council is one of only seven metropolitan councils deemed Fit for the Future by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) in its report to the NSW Government released on 20 October 2015. Two merger proposals were also assessed as Fit for the Future.

    This is a significant result for the City of Blue Mountains, and a reflection of the strong leadership of the Council. By meeting all of the Fit for the Future criteria the Council was able to clearly demonstrate that we have a plan and are well-positioned to build a successful future for the Blue Mountains.

    It is a notable achievement given that almost two-thirds of councils across NSW were deemed 'Not Fit'. A summary report card can be downloaded from the Document Library at the right, with the full report available from the IPART website.

    The final response from the NSW Government is yet to be announced.

  • Council's Improvement Proposal Submitted

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    The Council submitted its Fit for the Future Improvement Proposal to the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) on 30 June 2015. IPART will now assess the proposal against defined performance benchmarks, as outlined in their methodology paper.

    The Council's Improvement Proposal and the IPART Assessment Methodology are both available for download from the Document Library at the right.

    If you wish to make any comments on the Council's Improvement Proposal you may do so by making a submission to IPART before 31 July 2015.