Mayor Watton deserves credit—he’s finally speaking out, calling for the waste levy to be changed. But let’s be clear: that’s not enough. Why? Because Cessnock hasn’t just been misclassified—we’ve been fleeced. Since 2014, this community has been slugged Sydney metro waste rates while getting none of the Sydney perks. That’s at least $1.5 million a year siphoned off. Eleven years later, the tally is $17.5 million at a rough estimate.
Seventeen and a half million dollars stolen out of the Cessnock alone and other council’s in the Hunter all have a similar story, And what do we have to show for it? Potholes that could swallow a $250,000 Ford Lighting. Families paying more while getting less. Bureaucrats in Sydney laughing all the way to their taxpayer-funded lunches.
Watton’s right to push for a fair rate. But fair isn’t just changing the bill going forward. Fair is paying back what’s been taken. With interest. Because that money belongs here — resurfacing our roads, upgrading our services, lowering the cost of living for locals. Not vanishing into the bureaucratic swamp of Macquarie Street.
And if Sydney refuses to cough up? Fine. Then give us the “metro” lifestyle we’ve apparently been paying for. Train stations on every corner. A light rail snaking through Cessnock. A state-of-the-art stadium. The Cessnock Goannas in the NRL. Throw in a couple of Westfields while you’re at it. Because if you’re going to charge us like Sydney, you’d better deliver Sydney.
This isn’t just about a levy. It’s about justice. Regional Australians aren’t second-class citizens. We’re not cash cows for the city elite. We’ve been mugged for over a decade, and now it’s time for Macquarie Street to pay up.
Cessnock wants its $17.5 million back. Every cent.