News
4 June, 2026
Rate rise will push families ‘over the edge’
Wingecarribee Shire Council’s proposed rate rise will push many local families ‘over the edge’ according to a local social worker.
Wingecarribee Shire Council’s proposed rate rise will push many local families ‘over the edge’ according to a local social worker.
Jodie Watson, the Service Manager at Highlands Community Centres, was one of the speakers at Tuesday night’s meeting of the Southern Highlands Community Forum.
She said she was representing the people “we walk alongside” and was giving a voice to those people who would not only be impacted by a significant rate rise but would be harmed by it.
Mrs Watson said 20 per cent of households across the Wingecarribee were low income and many residents were already “beyond their limits”.
“A rate increase – even a modest one on paper – becomes the financial burden that pushes a household from ‘barely coping’ into crisis.”
As reported by The Southern Wire, council is hoping to use a Special Rate Variation (SRV) to increase rates significantly over the three years from 2027/28 to 2029/30.
The SRV will be dependent on approval by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) following community consultation.
There will also be major increases in water access, water consumption and sewerage access charges over the three years from 2026/2027 – which aren’t dependent on IPART approval and will come into effect on July 1 this year if approved at council’s June meeting.
A raft of other fees and charges will also increase as council struggles to restore financial sustainability and at the same time meet community expectations for basic services and infrastructure improvements.
“I want to acknowledge that council faces real financial pressures – every organisation with community responsibilities does,” Mrs Watson said on Tuesday night.
“But the question is not whether financial sustainability matters, it’s who is being asked to pay for it.
“If the solution to budget pressure is to shift the cost onto people least able to absorb it, the long-term social and economic consequences will far outweigh any short-term value gained.”
Mrs Watson said increased financial stress would result in poorer health outcomes, greater isolation and reduced participation in community life.
“These outcomes cost the community far more in the long run,” she said.
Mrs Watson called for responsible and community-centred decision making.
“Many organisations – including not-for-profits like our ours – use finance committees or advisory groups to identify efficiencies, strengthen oversight and explore revenue options that do not disproportionately impact vulnerable residents.
“These approaches ensure financial decisions are made with full visibility of their social impact.”
However Wingecarribee Shire Council has consistently rejected a push from councillors Rachel Russell and Sara Moylan for the establishment of a finance committee.
The Southern Wire understands council also rejected an invitation from Shoalhaven City Council to meet with mayor Patricia White and general manager Andrew Constance to discuss the benefits of a finance committee.
Shoalhaven has reversed its own financial crisis in a relatively short period of time thanks largely to the work of its finance committee and a commitment to reducing its own costs before passing the burden back onto ratepayers.
“Right now, our community needs stability,” Mrs Watson told the Forum.
“It needs decisions that protect those who are already doing everything they can to stay afloat.
“It needs a commitment to equity – ensuring the people with the least are not asked to contribute the most.
“It needs assurance that council is exploring all other options.
“Above all, it needs dependable leadership,” she said.
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