What advice has the minister had on the implementation of rates capping in other jurisdictions and the impact that has had on levels of service and delivery and maintenance of infrastructure and how has that advice (if any) been incorporated into his rates capping proposal?

Answer

Officials provided advice on the experience in other jurisdictions, through briefings on 13 December 2024 and 13 February 2025, and a summary of the New South Wales State Parliament Inquiry into Ability of local governments to fund infrastructure and services, and the State Government response on 15 May 2025. My Independent Reference Group included an official from the New South Wales Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal, and their experience was incorporated into policy design. The bill addresses the lessons learned from these processes, including a range of increases rather than an upper bound at consumer price index inflation, and exemption processes that provide flexibility when justified.