'We say no': hundreds gather to rally against Kempsey Shire Council's proposed rate rise

Earlier this year, the council announced it was facing an "unsustainable" operating deficit of $103m within a decade.

Proposed options for a Special Rate Variation (SRV) have been presented to the community for feedback, with all three involving a rise in rates.

Kempsey resident Kyle Arnott organised the rally after establishing a group called "Figure it out KSC" in response to the proposed rate hike.

Mr Arnott said he was moved by the show of support for their campaign.

"I did not expect this many people to turn up... but it goes to show that the community is not happy with what's going on," he said.

"The group was organised to give the community a voice about what's going on as well as keeping the transparency between the council and the community."

Mr Arnott said the rally was designed to send out a "clear message" to the council.

"We want the council to know that there has to be a better way," he said. "At the end of the day it's their decision, but they need to know that from our perspective there has to be a better way than charging the people who can't afford it.

"We're the ones who are going to cop the brunt of this decision, and we're the ones who will be affected the most."

Crescent Head resident Ken Scotton was among the people who spoke during the rally.

He said the proposed rate rise would disproportionately impact pensioners and low-income earners in the community.

"The pensioners and the low-income earners cannot afford what's being proposed by Kempsey Shire Council," he said.

"The stress on the older community and the discrimination against them because of their limited income has not been considered by the council.

"The council needs to know that we are not interested in supporting this Special Rate Variation."

Stuarts Point resident Liz Jerome said she's "really concerned" about a possible rate rise and called for alternative solutions to be considered.

"The rate rise can be done in other ways," she said. "The council needs to look at other options because this won't benefit the community they've been elected to serve."

The community has until Sunday, October 29, to make a submission to the council about the proposed SRV options.

The council will then decide at the November 2023 meeting whether to apply to Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) for the SRV and if so, which option to apply for.

If the council decides to make an application for an SRV, the application will be submitted in February 2024.

Member for Oxley, Michael Kemp, attended the rally along with Kempsey Shire mayor Leo Hauville and various councillors.

Councillor Arthur Bain said he was there "to listen to the concerns of the community".

"I came to the rally today as a councillor because I am committed to being accessible to the community and accountable to the community," he said.

"This is a very difficult decision that the council has to make and we need to listen to the voices of all the people who are going to be impacted by this.

"We have to look at all factors and every point of view before making a decision about what's in the best interest of our community."

Councillor Hauville said the upcoming decision will need to be considered "very carefully".

"The rally shows the way in which this decision will affect the community so we need to consider that very carefully and make sure that if there is a rate increase, that it doesn't impact very many people," he said.

He encouraged the community to continue sharing their thoughts in the lead up to the November meeting.

"People need to keep writing submissions to councillors even after the closing date and expressing their thoughts about how the decision will impact them.

"We need to know from as many people as possible what their position is so we can consider that when we make a decision.

"This is not an easy decision for councillors and we take our role very seriously."

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