FAQ

To provide services that meet community needs the Council plans for service provision into the future. It is important that the views of the community inform this work.

The Council prepares a number of plans each year, which provide details of how the Council is responding to community priorities in the short and long term. 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 contributes to the Council 4-year Delivery Program. 

The plans give details about the services, facilities and infrastructure the Council will provide and shows how much the Council will be spending on these services. 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 and the implementation of the six financial strategies for financial sustainability;
• The Council’s revised 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 City.

Section 2 – Resourcing the Delivery Program includes:

• Information on the local government resourcing context including the challenges of rate pegging (the state government’s allowable increase to rates) and cost shifting;
• 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
• A special feature on ‘Strategy 4 – Increasing Income’, on the proposed engagement with community on a possible application for a Special Variation to Rates.

Section 3 –Top Priority Actions by Key Direction

• The Council recently reviewed and reconfirmed the Four Year Priority Commitments and Outcomes (Minute No. 38, 25/02/14) as summarised on page 10 of the Plan. These Priority Commitments and Outcomes set the strategic direction of the Council resulting in the development of four year priority actions that the Council intends to deliver over 2013-2017 (refer to pages 28-30 of Plan). These priority actions will support the Council’s responsibilities and obligations in contributing to the achievement of the Community Strategic Plan – Sustainable Blue Mountains 2025.
• This section also outlines the planned actions for 2014-2015 for each Council service.

Section 4 – Assets Works Program

• The Asset Works Program is for the 2014-2015 year only and is based on the principles of asset works programming outlined on page 112 of the Plan.  No funding has been allocated to future years beyond 2014-2015 given that the outcome of the proposed engagement with community on a special variation to rates is unknown. The outcome of this process will significantly impact affordable levels of Council service provision into the future, including the amount of funding available for asset works. Depending on the outcome there will be different requirements relative to managing and addressing risks associated with ageing and failing infrastructure.  

Section 5 – Financial Information

• This section contains all other statutory required financial information. 

• Aquatic and Leisure Centres
• Building Certification
• Burials and Ashes Placement
• Commercial Activities
• Community Development
• Cultural Development
• Economic Development and Tourism
• Emergency Management
• Environmental Health and Regulatory Compliance
• Family Day Care
• Land Use Management
• Library 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 high-level strategic and governance functions that support the council in complying with State laws and regulations in relation to transparency and accountability; and
• Those services that provide operational support for external service delivery such as payroll, 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 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
• Caravan 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, Monuments, Public Art
• Buildings for Libraries
• Depots and Administration Buildings
• Fitness and Aquatic Centres, parks (including public toilets and shelters), sportgrounds, playing courts, skate parks, walking track 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 $123 million on service delivery in 2014-2015.

This is made up of

• Rates: $60.4 million
• Regulatory fees: $2 million
• Discretionary fees: $14.6 million
• Interest income: $1.5 million
• Other revenue: $3.4 million
• Profit on sale of assets: $236,000
• Operating grants & contributions: $12.4 million
• Capital grants & contributions: $5.1 million
• Transfers from reserves (including loan reserves): $22.1 million
• Sale of plant: $1.6 million