Newsletter 72 – Code of Meeting Practice

  • Posted by IanMuttonAdmin
  • On December 15, 2025
NORTH SYDNEY COUNCIL AND ITS CODE OF MEETING PRACTICE A puzzlement At its meeting on 8 December, Council considered the Minister for Local Government’s Model Code of Meeting Practice. The Minister directed that if Council (along with every Council in NSW) did not adopt the Office of Local Government’s Model Code, any inconsistent provisions of […]
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Newsletter 71 – Conserving Rare Open Space

  • Posted by IanMuttonAdmin
  • On December 1, 2025
North Sydney has one of the most constrained parkland and recreation area ratios in metropolitan Sydney — approximately 550 residents per hectare of open space. By comparison, Ku-ring-gai has around 84 residents per hectare, Willoughby 216, and Mosman 170, highlighting the significant shortfall in accessible parkland available to North Sydney residents. Recently, we have: Lost […]
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Newsletter 70 – Survey

  • Posted by IanMuttonAdmin
  • On November 18, 2025
  Newsletter 70 – November 2025 Ladies and Gentlemen, SPECIAL RATE VARIATION OPTIONS SURVEY A few days ago, you would have received my Newsletter dealing with North Sydney Council’s finances and its plan to go ahead with an application to IPART for options for a Special Rate Variation of up to 54.2%. Council has now […]
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Newsletter 69 – Finance

  • Posted by IanMuttonAdmin
  • On November 6, 2025
Ladies and Gentlemen, North Sydney Council, at its meeting on 27 October voted on The Draft Long-term Financial Plan. The Plan proposed: an increase in our rates of up to 54.18% (phased in over a three-year period) as well as an increase in the minimum rate for residential and business. We don’t know what individual […]
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Newsletter 68 – Community Strategic Plan

  • Posted by IanMuttonAdmin
  • On April 9, 2025
Ladies and Gentlemen, Is Council seeking to change its Community Strategic Plan without the endorsement of the Community? The Local Government Act mandates that each Council must have a Community Strategic Plan (CSP). The CSP is important because it is the foundation stone for all decision-making and actions. Put simply, if it is not in […]
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Newsletter 67 – Crisis! What Crisis

  • Posted by IanMuttonAdmin
  • On February 21, 2025
  • north sydney council, north sydney rates
  Ladies and Gentlemen, Today I received an email from resident of North Sydney. He and his family lives in a “workers” cottage in Crows Nest; for them it is a struggle to make both end meet – now, if Council gets its way, this family will be hit with a rate increase from $1,697 […]
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Newsletter 66 – Rates

  • Posted by IanMuttonAdmin
  • On December 16, 2024
Ladies and Gentlemen, Real Independents, Labor and Greens join forces on a Special Rate Variation (SRV) Our new Council tells us it is in a weak financial position. If so, what to do? Contain costs so that they are covered by current revenue (rates, charges and the sale of assets) or, As Council is suggesting, […]
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Newsletter 64 – North Sydney Olympic Pool

  • Posted by IanMuttonAdmin
  • On June 19, 2024
  North Sydney’s Olympic Pool – Why so long to build? Why so expensive? Our North Sydney Olympic Pool was built in 1936; the rebuild raised 4 questions Did it need to be “replaced”? If so, what should it be replaced with? Were the “right” contracts for design and construction of the replacement put in […]
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Newsletter 63 – Bradfield Park

  • Posted by IanMuttonAdmin
  • On April 4, 2024
Sydney Harbour Bridge Cycle Ramp Complete Story – when government won’t listen It starts back when the Sydney Harbour Bridge was completed. The disruption to North Sydney was so great that Bradfield caused land that was resumed for the Bridge and no longer required to be put in a trust for the benefit of the […]
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How Councillors Have Voted

  • Posted by IanMuttonAdmin
  • On November 6, 2023
Does Council support community consultation? We hear a lot about community consultation – North Sydney Council says it does a great deal of it. Ever wondered whether consultation influences Councillors in how they vote? Council’s ambivalent attitude to cars is instructive – voting for more roads in the east (Neutral Bay village) but less parking […]
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