Chaos erupted at North Sydney Council as councillors voted to apply for an 87% rate hike, sparking outrage from furious residents. Shouts of “sack them” filled the chambers as the controversial motion passed 7-3. Residents lined up for hours to slam the move, with some warning they would be forced to sell their homes. This video includes ACM-produced voiceover powered by AI.
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00:00When are we going to order?
00:02When are we going to order?
00:04As I said, as I said, it can be...
00:06I'm calling the gallery to order.
00:08Councillor Keene has the floor.
00:10A New South Wales council chambers descended
00:12into chaos as councillors pushed through
00:14a massive 87% rate hike,
00:16sparking outrage
00:18from furious residents.
00:20A businessman can't go and say,
00:22I'm going to double the price of my takeaway meal
00:24or my haircut.
00:26Hear, hear. Spot on, mate. Spot on.
00:28That's where we're sitting here.
00:30Carmen from Curability said,
00:32councillors deceptive at best and incompetent at worst
00:34for not disclosing this pile of state of finances
00:36leading up to last year's election.
00:38They should be sacked by the state government and administrations.
00:40To have no financial crisis,
00:42let me tell you,
00:44there is absolutely no financial crisis here.
00:48This North Sydney council
00:50is in surplus.
00:52How can it have a financial crisis?
00:54The only issue is...
00:56That is your three minutes.
00:58I haven't allowed anything else.
01:02That is your three minutes.
01:08Everybody else has had three minutes.
01:10Next speaker.
01:12Booze, jeers and shouts of
01:14sack them filled the room at North Sydney council
01:16as the controversial motion
01:18passed seven to three late on Monday night,
01:2010th of February.
01:22I share your frustration
01:24and anger.
01:26I call you to order.
01:28Which is a direct result
01:30of the poor decisions made by a former
01:32council.
01:38I am calling
01:40the gallery to order.
01:42All of the
01:44councillors have listened with respect
01:46to everyone who spoke and it's now
01:48your time to hear the reasoning
01:50of those who are making the decision.
01:52So I'm calling you to order.
01:54Councillor Berge, you have the floor.
02:00I'm going to put
02:02the motion. All those in favour.
02:04All those against.
02:14I'm calling you
02:16to order. We're moving now to the next
02:18item. Notice of motion.
02:20The hike
02:2245% in 2025-26
02:24and 29%
02:26in 2026-27
02:28follows a disastrous
02:30$122 million pool
02:32redevelopment. Residents lined up
02:34for hours to slam the move
02:36with some warning they would be forced to sell
02:38their homes. It's outrageous.
02:40I stand before you today
02:42to voice my strong opposition
02:44to the proposed
02:4687.5%
02:48cumulative rate increase.
02:50This drastic
02:52hike is both unreasonable
02:54and unjust and I
02:56urge the council to reconsider
02:58its approach. This council
03:00does not have an electoral
03:02mandate for such a rate
03:04rise.
03:06It totals $67
03:08million. Thank you. This is
03:10accurate. There can be no justification
03:12for a rate rise. The next speaker is
03:14Jamie Rodgers.
03:18Next speaker is Jamie
03:20Rodgers.
03:22Sorry, I'm having
03:24difficulty. I urge
03:26the council to vote against this resolution.
03:28Jamie Rodgers, you're next.
03:30And in conducting such
03:32a vote—
03:34Everybody else has had three minutes.
03:36Can I say—
03:40Mr Rodgers.
03:42Councillors interjecting.
03:44Mayor Zoe
03:46Baker clashed with the crowd,
03:48demanding respect. As locals
03:50accuse Council of financial mismanagement,
03:52the proposal now heads to NSW's
03:54independent pricing regulator
03:56for approval. With just
03:585% community support, the area's
04:00ratepayers now face a tough road ahead.
04:02One they never signed up for.