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66 Business View Australia - July 2015
and bridges. The main constraint that
it has faced is the problem of rate
capping which has been prevalent in
New South Wales for the last 40 years.
The minor increases in rates that are
allowedunder ratepeggingdonotpermit
the backlog of work to be addressed.
It is even more difficult to take up
enhancements to meet the increasing
demand from a growing population.
For instance, an existing road may
be six metres in width but modern
standards require an enhancement
to eight metres. This factor greatly
increases the amount of funds
required and can prove to be a major
drain on Council’s limited resources.
Another issue faced by many Councils,
including Great Lakes Council, has
been the demand from the community
for a host of services that were
traditionally not provided. Traditionally
Council work was restricted to ‘roads,
rates and rubbish’, but now there is a
great demand for community services.
This presents a dilemma to Councils
across the state and has resulted
in their gradual transformation.
Of
course,
Councils
cannot
neglect their basic functions and
continue to provide and maintain
INFRASTRUCTUR