Have you read the Cessnock Council’s latest “Financial Sustainability Review”? You probably haven’t. And that’s by design. Because if you did — if you really read it — you’d be outraged. And you should be.
Because this isn’t just a report. It’s not an assessment. It’s not a planning document. It’s a loaded gun pointed at your bank account — and the trigger date is already set for February 2026.
Let’s not sugarcoat it: Cessnock City Council is preparing to raise your rates, and they’re doing it under the polished cover of academic language, university consultants, and doomsday financial jargon. But beneath the intellectual pageantry, what you’re seeing is an all-too-familiar pattern: government mismanages your money, cries poor, and demands more — from you.
Councillor Quintin King sees what’s going on and has the courage to say it:
“I would highly encourage everyone to have a look at the sustainability review… In my view, it’s done under the guise to show council’s shortcomings. But what it really is, is laying the groundwork to find the most likely avenue to get a Special Rate Variation approved by IPART.”
He’s right.
Let’s go to the source. The Financial Sustainability Review opens with the following ominous warning:
“Delay is no longer an option – it is also extremely unlikely to manifest as a kindness in the long-run.”
Translation: If you thought Council was holding back rate increases out of kindness, you’re a fool. They’re done pretending. Now they’re coming for your money.
They Don’t Want to Save — They Want to Spend More
What do normal families do when costs go up? They cut back. They budget. They say “no” to luxuries. But not Cessnock Council. No, they’ve got a different plan:
“It would thus be prudent for council to get on the front foot and take appropriate action to permanently alter its revenue path as soon as possible.”
That’s bureaucratic doublespeak for: raise rates — and make the increases permanent.
And just in case that wasn’t clear enough, they drive it home in the recommendation section:
“We have no choice other than to make a strong recommendation for Council to engage on the work required to put forward an SRV proposal for the round closing February 2026.”
That’s not speculation. That’s not a warning. That’s a roadmap to taking more of your money.
The Evidence They’re Building — Against You
According to the report, Cessnock should have collected $55.1 million in local government taxes in 2024. But it only brought in $47.2 million. That’s a 16.7% shortfall, according to their regression model.
“Clearly, exerting less than an average revenue effort is not sustainable,” the report warns.
In other words, they think you’ve been getting away with paying too little, and now it’s time to fix that — by jacking up your rates.
But here’s what they don’t say: why should ratepayers be punished for Council’s historic failure to run a tight ship?
Over the last four years, Cessnock had the lowest staff expenditure per property assessment in its peer group — yet somehow the Council still ended up with:
- A four-year average deficit of $12 million
- Cash reserves among the lowest in the state
- Road maintenance costs that have been deferred, risking future blowouts
- A looming infrastructure crisis, with the report admitting that depreciation alone is outpacing revenue
Rather than address any of this through internal reform, service prioritization, or belt-tightening, the authors want Council to spend the next year building a legal and academic case to justify a rate hike. That includes:
- Workshops
- Briefings
- Public relations campaigns
- Surveys
- External “capacity to pay” reports
- Formal presentations to the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART)
It’s a production — one that you’re paying for — to convince you to pay even more.
The Ratepayer Becomes the ATM
Throughout the review, one theme is repeated like a mantra: rates must rise. Consider this quote, buried 40 pages in:
“Because rates are less than a third of the revenue… relatively large increases will need to be made to bring in sufficient revenue to redress shortfalls.”
And the kicker:
“The longer Council delays, the larger the increases will ultimately need to be.”
This is nothing short of a financial ultimatum: pay up now, or we’ll hit you even harder later.
They even blame the fact that Cessnock’s rates are lower than average — as if that’s a crime.
And yet, this same report admits that average residential rates appear high, that farm rates are not comparable, and that business rates are below peer average but data is too skewed to draw real conclusions. So which is it? Are we underpaying? Or is the whole comparison flawed?
It doesn’t matter. Because the conclusion is already written. The process is already moving. The date is already set.
The Arrogance of Bureaucrats, the Silence of Council
To make it worse, Council isn’t asking you if you agree — they’re only obligated to tell you they plan to do it:
“The Guidelines do not require that the community agrees to the tax increase – merely that they have been made aware…”
That’s not consultation. That’s notification. Like a parking fine.
And they’re already planning the spin:
- “Independent academic review”
- “Intergenerational equity”
- “Long-term sustainability”
- “Kindness to future ratepayers”
But here’s what they won’t say: why did they let it get this bad in the first place?
Why are we now being told that “delay is not an option” when Council has had years to manage costs, fix inefficiencies, and demand proper grant funding from state and federal governments?
Why are ratepayers being punished, when most of them — especially in outer towns — are already receiving fewer services?
Time to Push Back
Quintin King is right to be suspicious. This isn’t a financial review — it’s a strategic justification to increase your rates. Every graph, every footnote, every economic model is being weaponized to tell a story: Council deserves more, and you must pay.
They’ll say it’s not their choice — that IPART makes the final decision.
But it is their choice to apply.
And it’s your right to speak up before they do.
Here’s the plan:
- Read the report for yourself: Cessnock Council Financial Review PDF
- Contact your councillors. Demand answers.
- Show up at meetings. Be heard.
- And let Council know — loud and clear — that you are not a blank cheque.
Because once this SRV is approved, there’s no going back.
