What does this event cover
With rate capping on the horizon, how can your council prepare for the financial challenges and decisions ahead?
New South Wales has operated under rate capping for almost 50 years, offering valuable lessons for New Zealand councils about what works, what doesn’t, and the unintended consequences that can emerge over time. This webinar will help you understand what rate capping could mean for your council’s long-term financial sustainability, services and infrastructure, and what you can do now to prepare. You’ll explore how to assess your council’s current financial position, identify potential vulnerabilities and make informed decisions about future investment and service delivery.
Drawing on more than 25 years of experience supporting NSW councils, Janine McKenzie and Stu Cross from Morrison Low Advisory will share practical insights into operating within a rate-capped environment, including:
- The long-term impacts of rate capping on council finances, services and assets
- How to identify financial and asset management risks before a cap is introduced
- Practical steps councils can take now to strengthen their financial position
- How NSW councils have made the case for additional revenue when existing funding is no longer sustainable
- Lessons New Zealand councils can apply to their own planning and decision-making
Morrison Low has supported more than half of the NSW councils that have sought a special rate variation over the past five years, achieving a 92% success rate. The presenters will draw on this experience to share what it takes to build a strong case for investment when funding is constrained.
Learn from nearly 50 years of experience in NSW and give your council a head start on preparing for rate capping.
Who should attend?
This webinar will be particularly valuable for council chief executives, finance and rating professionals, asset managers, and anyone involved in long-term financial planning, funding decisions or service delivery.
Programme overview
With support from
Your facilitators and guest speakers
Stu Cross
Stu Cross is a Director at Morrison Low Advisory and a Chartered Accountant with extensive experience advising local and central government in New Zealand and Australia. His work focuses on financial and economic analysis, infrastructure funding and financing, business cases and service delivery, helping councils understand the financial implications of major policy and investment decisions.
Janine McKenzie
Janine McKenzie is the NSW Regional Manager for Morrison Low Advisory. She has extensive experience in local government financial sustainability and strategy. Janine has worked with councils across New South Wales on long term financial planning, rating strategies and special rate variation applications, helping councils understand their financial position and make informed decisions about sustainable services and investment.
Raymond Horan
Raymond re-joined Taituarā in June 2014 as Sector Improvement Manager, before commencing his current role as Chief Advisor at Taituarā. He has spent most of the last 20 years in local government related roles, most recently with the Department of Internal Affairs.
He describes his job as two-thirds providing assistance to the local government sector and one-third providing advice to central government on local government matters. His ambition is to help develop a Local Government Act that doesn’t require changes every 18 months. He asks that you wish him well with this task.
