AMID talks of a potential special rate variation (SRV), councillors Natalie Cranston and Sophie Wright are pushing the council to make every possible cost saving before it brings any proposal to the community.
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The duo have prepared a notice of motion, which will be one of two on the agenda for the May 21, 2025 ordinary meeting of Bathurst council.
Broadly, the motion proposes "a coordinated approach to identify further internal savings and efficiencies".
It includes a long list of recommended actions, including the development of a cost containment strategy and requesting general manager David Sherley prepare a report for the July ordinary meeting outlining a staged cost containment plan.
The plan would have to included a capital works prioritisation matrix, among other things, to help the council assess, rank, and stage projects based on urgency, community impact, legislative requirement, asset risk and return on investment.
The motion also asks for Mr Sherley to investigate the possibility of transferring dividends from the water and sewer fund to the general fund.
A report presenting his findings would need to be prepared for the July ordinary meeting.
Cr Cranston said she and Cr Wright have spent the months since their election learning as much as they can about the council, which has informed this notice of motion.
They are conscious of the possibility of a special rate variation being proposed, with the motion confirming there have been internal discussions.
"I don't think it is any secret that we have and still need to have a conversation around a SRV," Cr Cranston said.
"Now, what that looks like, when the timing is, what the amount is, that hasn't been set in concrete. This motion is just an acknowledgement of what everyone knows, that we do need to have that discussion and what that looks like.
"For me, it's about making sure we as council and councillors have done all the internal work we can first before we go to the community for another discussion."
She described SRVs as a "safety net" for councils, and it's one she wants to avoid Bathurst using.
"I just don't want to use that safety net if we don't have to, and if we do use the IPART safety net, it has to be for the right reasons, and that being that we are generally unsustainable," Cr Cranston said.
Some of the things she thinks need to be looked at are reducing staffing levels when the opportunity arises through "natural attrition", and trialing "zero-based budgeting" to ensure projects are resourced to be efficient.
"It forces us to ask the hard questions - it's not, 'What can we cut?', but, 'What really matters?'," Cr Cranston said.
"At a time when we may be asking the community for a rate rise, this would be the kind of discipline ratepayers would expect."
