Cr Camilleri called for transparency and “always challenging and questioning ourselves [council] to make sure we making the right decisions moving forward.
Currently, Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) is reviewing Blacktown Council’s controversial application for a substantial rate increase (special rate variation – SRV).
Councillors called for a review of the operational costs of the $270M NSW Government funded infrastructure projects.
Council estimates that the ongoing costs of operating and maintaining these new facilities is approximately $28M per annum.
Cr Kumar said, “In the interest of full disclosure and transparency, for better governance and better accountability to the people of this city, we need to drill down into more details on each project.”
One of the three key reasons for the special rate increase was deal to with the operational costs of the new state funded facilities, but councillors unanimously have called into question council’s cost projections.
The second motion was for transparency and full disclosure on controversial sale and lease back of the council civic centre.
Cr Camilleri's motion suggests that over 7.5 years of the sale and lease back of the council building that rate payers will lose $7.7M with the possibility of higher losses as the maximum lease term is 10 years.
The second and core reason for the rate increase was to cover the cost of council’s new administration building proposed to cost $605M.
The original proposal for sale and lease back of the council civic centre (2023) was to substantially go towards the new building therefore ratepayers won’t have to bear the cost.
Council has yet to disclose the full financial impact of the sale of the council civic centre and surrounding properties since the sale in April 2023.
Another resolution unanimously passed by council regarded the spiralling increases to the backlog of asset maintenance which was also third primary reason for the special rate increase.
Cr Camilleri said that councillors were not aware of the $800M backlog at the time when the state funded projects and potential council operating costs was first raised.
The mayor intervened and said the current backlog was “$108m or gone up to $120m.” Fact check shows the last council reported backlog was at $162.3M as at 30 June 2025.
Cr Camilleri further clarified that at that point in time (2022/3 when state funding was being applied for) that “we [councillors] didn’t have a [backlog] forecast to grow $800M.”
Other unanimously motions endorsed included reports to be provided on cost transparency of Blacktown Animal Holding Facility (BARC); Blacktown Exercise Sports Hub (BEST); council’s new administration building; SRV community feedback; release of previous confidential reports on Blacktown Brain and Spinal Institute (BBSI) which led to the sale of the civic centre and surrounding properties.
