Surge in insurance premiums to push up reno costs for apartment owners theage.com.au - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from theage.com.au Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Residents are increasingly angry that services have deteriorated, the new tree policy is environmentally destructive and council assets are being slated for sale or pepper-corn rentals to private corporations.
On top of all this, the “rate harmonisation” plan is about to kick in. Residents in the former council area of Marrickville will be forced to pay a substantial amount more. This, the government says will be “fairer”.
The Local Government Amendment Bill 2021 is set to go to the Legislative Council this session. Its main objective is to make the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal’s (IPART) recommendations on new rates lawful. IPART decided last September to set the rate peg for all NSW councils 2021-2022 at 2%, down from 2.6% the previous year.
$700m defects hole suggests things may be getting better
Have we reached rock bottom on building defects, with the only way up?
Share
The efforts of NSW Building Commissioner David Chandler to raise construction standards in the state’s apartment blocks came home to roost in a very direct way last week.
Our “silicone guy”, booked to recaulk some noncritical edges in our bathroom, had to postpone because he’d been called to a block under construction where Chandler’s team had demanded the rewaterproofing of all its bathrooms.
That’s reassuring given that the
Sun-Heraldthen landed with a story that the Home Building Compensation (HBC) office in NSW is looking at a $700 million hole in its finances.
Premium Content
Subscriber only Rates in the Tweed Shire Council area are expected to go up by 2 per cent this year as detailed in the council s $254 million draft budget plan. The average residential ratepayer will be slapped with a $1124.70 ordinary rates bill for the 2021/22 financial year - a total of $22.05 more than last year. Water, sewerage and waste charges are also on the rise, costing the average rate payer an extra $30.30 on top of ordinary rates. The budget draft states the rates rise is in line with the independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal rate peg of 2 per cent. The draft also outlines user charges and fees are generally are planned to go up by 5 per cent.