The NSW State government has sprung a catastrophic Emergency Services Levy on NSW Councils leaving them struggling to fathom how they are supposed to come up with the money that the state is demanding. 

At yesterdays Tweed Shire Council (TSC) meeting it was revealed that the TSC had received the equivalent of a $540,000 levy, a significant increase on what was expected, drawing a quick response from councillors at the bizarre and unbelievable levy that is putting council in an untenable position according to Tweed Mayor Chris Cherry. 

The Emergency Services Levy is a contribution paid by all councils that funds all the emergency services across that shire. The issue is that the state government has not only significantly increased the levy, they have removed the subsidy that councils were previously receiving.

The $540,000 represents the equivalent of a 0.85 per cent rate increase, explained Tweed Councils general manager, Troy Green. 

That represents one-third of the special rate variation (SRV) that weve asked for.

The Council can not use the SRV to pay for the levy as, if approved, it would have to be spent on the areas identified in the request for the SRV. 

Council unfortunately has received this notification outside our rating cycle. So we have not been able to factor this in, said Cr Cherry. 

The Council had budgeted for a four per cent increase in the emergency services levy, however, the increase by the state government for the next financial year is 24.28 per cent. 

I just found this quite unbelievable, said Councillor Dr Nola Fiurth. 

Were expected as a council to run our budget, and weve done a really careful job. And then to suddenly [you] have a huge amount of money that we [are] expected to find at a time when weve already gone to the community about the difficulties we are under. Im absolutely astonished that something like this could happen.

Her astonishment was reiterated by Councillor James Owen who told the meeting, Its quite bizarre.

To know that a lot of councils are in the process of asking their communities whether theyre willing to accept a special rate variation, to then do this in the middle of it, its just not very great policymaking.

Cost shifting...

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When the water came like a small river into her street in 2022, 79-year-old Margaret Alderton took action. 

She tried to plug the cracks around the doors, and secure her house to ensure that the water didnt come flooding in. 

But the water didnt stop.

I was amazed at the amount and force of the water coming into my home, said Margaret. Ive heard people in their 90s, who have lived here all their lives, say they have never seen a flood like that one.

The water surrounded my house, came in and went through all my furniture and electrics. It finally stopped when it got to my knees. I didnt know what to do.

High tide

The water finally started to recede before the high tide forced it back up and into the house again, a little higher than the previous time. 

As I was sloshing around in the water, a couple of men came to the door on surfboards. I said I couldnt open it, because of the water and to come over to the window. 

They suggested Margaret climb out of the window, and offere...

80 cyclists pedalled into Ballina from Grafton yesterday, just one of seven long days in the saddle for participants in the Sydney to Surfers Robbos Ride. This annual event raises funds for Father Chris Rileys not-for-profit organisation Youth Off The Streets, which is tackling youth homelessness head-on in Sydney.

John Martin is a Sydney teacher who has ridden the event seven times, but is playing a moral support role in the team car this time round, due to a recently broken wrist. He spoke to The Echo about a group of young people associated with Youth Off The Streets who are riding the entire distance this year, despite very limited cycling experience.