We want a share of GST: councils

Research just released by Northern Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (NSROC) forecasts population growth will damage the environment, cause traffic gridlock and spark demand for services and infrastructure which local councils cannot fund.

Area populations in year 2001 (shown in black and in thousands). Projected population in 2034 (shown in pink and in thousands). Source: Northern Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (NSROC). Graphic: Mani Veiszadeh

Councillors from Hornsby, Hunters Hill, Ku-ring-gai, Lane Cove, North Sydney, Ryde and Willoughby were told at the annual NSROC conference that under the State Government's 'Sydney Metropolitan Strategy' a 25 per cent increase of population is planed for the northern region of Sydney by 2034.

NSROC launched its own Regional Planning Strategy at the conference as a response to the key focus areas of the Metropolitan Strategy — population, employment and dwellings.

"The formulation of the Sydney Metropolitan Strategy is no time for us to be complacent," said Mayor of North Sydney and keynote speaker Genia McCaffery.

Cr McCaffery said that because the northern area enjoyed very low unemployment, high income, a beautiful natural environment and clean and safe streets, more people want to live in the area.

The group of seven councils voluntarily comes together to address regional issues, work co-operatively for the benefit of the region and advocate on agreed regional positions and priorities.

Mayor of Ku-ring-gai Elaine Malicki said the main benefit of NSROC was being "united as a region instead of being picked off one by one."

The councils feel they are too small on their own to take on the State and Federal Governments. "Local council is legislatively weak," said Cr McCaffery, "We are often the play things of both forms of government."

She said while the community demand for services was growing, local councils were now in a position of having to "do more, with less."

Commissioned by NSROC, the report by a private company GML Social Services says that since rate-pegging was introduced 20 years ago northern Sydney councils have relied on Section 94 developer contributions to fund capital works programs. Rate-pegging restricts council income by ensuring rate increases are kept to a minimum.

NSROC Chairman and Mayor of Willoughby Pat Reilly called for the Federal Government to pay a portion of GST income directly to local governments for infrastructure and the delivery of services.

Cr Reilly called for the NSW Government to recognise someone has to pay for the demands of a growing population.

"You can't have it both ways, someone has to pay for these services and if the Government won't let us charge the developers who profit from the population increases, then residents will have to foot the bill."

The report found that the northern region is facing a critical shortage of childcare places, youth support and aged care services.

Cr Reilly said that the NSROC reports "illustrate that while the northern region contributes more than its share to the Australian economy, it is being starved of funds and it faces an uncertain future."

Cr Malicki said the document would form an invaluable tool for lobbying the State Government for better infrastructure required by region.

"These studies cost $400,000 five years ago, so they were exhaustive, yet they have been ignored by the state planning authorities."