review today’s services to local government
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Review Today’s Services to Local Government. Bob Gaussen Managing Director Review Today Pty Ltd 29 th November 2013 . What does Review Today do?. Review Today does two types of work: Drafting Submissions under the client’s name, and Independent Sustainability Reviews in our name. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Review Today’s Services to Local Government
Bob Gaussen Managing Director
Review Today Pty Ltd29th November 2013
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What does Review Today do?
Review Today does two types of work: Drafting Submissions
under the client’s name, and
Independent Sustainability Reviews in our name.
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Submissions in client’s name
Review Today drafts : Submissions to the
ILGRP (e.g. Woollahra Council, REROC, Urban Taskforce)
Commonwealth Grants Commission
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Submissions in client’s name
Review Today drafts : Special Rate Variation
Submissions to IPART (e.g. Woollahra Council)
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Independent Reviews in our name
Review Today does major financial sustainability reviews (e.g. 8 Regional Councils)
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What does council financial sustainability mean?
U
V
S
-20%
-10%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
0% 50% 100% 150% 200% 250% 300%
OD ratio
BL ratiox
mm
target values:OD ratio = -2½%BL ratio = 60%
actual values:OD ratio = 15%BL ratio = 120%
= present imbalances
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What does council financial sustainability mean?
Financial Sustainability Goalposts: > 2.5% Surplus Ratio < 60% Net Debt Ratio No Infrastructure
Backlog
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What does a Review do? It gauges the condition of Council’s infrastructure
including the size of any backlog. It establishes Councils infrastructure enhancement
(i.e. expansion) needs It estimates the required infrastructure renewals for
each of the next twenty years. It calculates Councils required maintenance needs
over the same period. It sums up Council’s total infrastructure requirements
for the next two decades.
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What does a Review do? It projects council’s total (non-infrastructure) service
requirements for each of the next ten years. It projects council’s likely revenue streams for that
period. It sets goalposts for financial, service, infrastructure
and ratepayer affordability outcomes. It tests which combinations of revenue raising and
service and infrastructure spending meet these goals. It identifies the revenue and spending strategy that
best achieves the desired goals with the least disruption to the community (i.e. political pain).
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Who do we involve? The General Manager The Senior Management team (e.g. Chief Engineer,
CFO, Corporate Planner, etc) and staff. Review Today, GHD and TreEnt. The Councillors Public interest groups The General Public The local State and Federal MPs The Minister for Local Government (after Review)
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Independent Reviews in our name
Review Today does desktop financial sustainability reviews (e.g. 2 regional and 18 metropolitan councils)
Who are our clients?
Councils Armidale, Botany Bay, Bega,
Burwood, Canada Bay, Coolamon, Dubbo, Hawthorn, Hornsby, Hills, Hunters Hill, Hurstville, Great Lakes, Greater Taree, Kogarah, Ku-ring-gai, Lane Cove, Leichhardt, Newcastle, Mosman, North Sydney, Randwick, Rockdale, Ryde, Strathfield, Sutherland, Uralla, Warringah, Woollahra and Wollongong.
Others Alliance of Sydney
Metropolitan Councils To Commonwealth Grants
Commission re position of Councils receiving “minimum” financial assistance grants
Riverina Eastern Regional Organisation of Councils
Urban Taskforce To raise level of debate on
possible new structures of local government in NSW
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What are the benefits?
The Review Today methodology is unique, well trialed and cost effective. No-one else in Australia offers such an integrated solution.
It assists Council to achieve consensus between councillors and management on the nature, extent and possible solutions to a problem.
It merges the different professions of a council (e.g. engineering, finance, treasury, corporate planning, etc) to produce consistent data for policy analysis.
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What are the benefits?
Management learns a common approach and terminology to evaluating councils sustainability.
Councillors get to understand the challenges and choices of achieving sustainability.
Community groups are forced to debate the trade-offs needed to achieve sustainability.
State government can be submitted a convincing business case for change.
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What are the benefits?
It enables a council to prepare a convincing business case for any rate rises or extra borrowings should this need be established.
The technical excellence of the reports means they can withstand the critical scrutiny of the community, IPART, ILGRP, CGC and other government bodies.
The credentials of the consultants (Review Today, GHD, and TreEnt) lend credibility to the results.
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Don’t wait for Godot!
Don’t wait on Governments to force amalgamations.
Councils should develop their own business cases to persuade both their communities and the Minister what needs to be done.
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Review Today’s contact details
Review Today Pty LtdMona Vale Business Centrewww.reviewtoday.com.au 1800 500 035
Bob Gaussen Managing Director [email protected] 1912 2255