Rates & spending · Bega Valley Shire Council
Merimbula property granted $15,525.60 water-charge concession as CEO limit rises
Bega Valley Shire Council approved the concession for 21 Marine Parade and separately lifted the CEO’s authority for eligible water and wastewater charge reductions to $50,000.
Reporting from public council minutes. How this article was prepared
Bega Valley Shire Council approved a $15,525.60 water-consumption charge concession for a Merimbula property, while increasing the Chief Executive Officer’s authority to approve eligible water and wastewater charge reductions from $10,000 to $50,000.
The concession for 21 Marine Parade was approved under Procedure 4.07.02, Water and Sewer Billing, Concessions and Reduction. Resolution 132/26 lists nine councillors in favour and no votes against, although an attendance inconsistency prevents verification of the actual tally from the supplied record.
A separate resolution, 133/26, amended Delegation DEG025. The higher limit applies only to applications that meet the council’s adopted billing, concessions and reductions procedure. It does not guarantee that an application will be approved.
The delegation change passed on a recorded vote of six to three. Councillors Tony Allen, Simon Daly, Russell Fitzpatrick, Peter Haggar, Clair Mudaliar and Helen O’Neil were listed in favour, while Mitchell Nadin, Peggy Noble and David Porter were listed against.
The minutes contain an internal inconsistency in the concession vote: O’Neil is listed among those voting in favour but is also recorded as absent. The minutes say O’Neil left before the item and returned afterwards. The declared approval is reported here as recorded in the minutes, not as an independently verified outcome or tally.
The record does not give the reason for the individual concession or state how many future applications could be dealt with under the higher delegation.
What deserves a closer look
The two resolutions were separate: the concession was resolution 132/26 and the delegation amendment was resolution 133/26.
The higher delegation is conditional on applications meeting the council's adopted procedure.
The public record does not state the reason for the individual concession or the number of applications likely to use the higher limit.
Questions for follow-up reporting
What circumstances supported the $15,525.60 concession for 21 Marine Parade?
How many applications previously exceeded the CEO's $10,000 delegation limit?
What reporting will councillors receive on reductions approved under the new $50,000 delegation?
Check the record
These passages were matched to the source text. Read them in context in the original minutes.
Resolution 132/26 records approval of a $15,525.60 water-consumption charge leniency concession for 21 Marine Parade, Merimbula, under Procedure 4.07.02. The concession vote lists nine councillors in favour and none against, but also lists Cr O'Neil as absent despite including O'Neil among those in favour. It records O'Neil returning at 4:29 pm.
132/26 RESOLVED on the motion of Crs Nadin and Porter 1. Approve a water consumption charge leniency concession of $15,525.60 for the property located at 21 Marine Parade, Merimbula, in accordance with Procedure 4.07.02 Water and Sewer Billing, Concessions and Reduction IN FAVOUR: Crs Allen, Daly, Fitzpatrick, Haggar, Mudaliar, Nadin, Noble, O'Neil and Porter AGAINST: Nil Council Meeting Minutes 23 September 2026 - 15 - ABSENT: Cr O'Neil 04:29 pm Cr O'Neil returned to the meeting.
Resolution 132/26
Open original minutes ↗Resolution 133/26 amended Delegation DEG025 to increase the Chief Executive Officer's authority to approve water and wastewater consumption-charge reductions from $10,000 to $50,000, where applications meet the requirements of the council's adopted Water and Sewer Billing, Concessions and Reductions Procedure.
133/26 RESOLVED on the motion of Crs Haggar and Daly 1. Amend Delegation DEG025 to increase the Chief Executive Officer's delegated authority to approve reductions in water and wastewater consumption charges from $10,000 to $50,000, where applications meet the requirements of Council's adopted Water and Sewer Billing, Concessions and Reductions Procedure.
Resolution 133/26
Open original minutes ↗The recorded vote lists six councillors in favour and three against.
IN FAVOUR: Crs Allen, Daly, Fitzpatrick, Haggar, Mudaliar and O'Neil AGAINST: Crs Nadin, Noble and Porter 10.5 Pulse upgrade and expansion project 04:30 pm Cr Nadin left the meeting.
Vote on resolution 133/26
Open original minutes ↗The minutes record Cr O'Neil leaving the meeting at 4:27 pm under item 10.4, Water Consumption Charge Leniency Request.
IN FAVOUR: Crs Allen, Daly, Fitzpatrick, Haggar, Mudaliar, Nadin, Noble and O'Neil AGAINST: Cr Porter 10.4 Water Consumption Charge Leniency Request 04:27 pm Cr O'Neil left the meeting.
Attendance entry before item 10.4
Open original minutes ↗The record includes a confirmation bearing Russell Fitzpatrick's digital signature as chairperson of the Bega Valley Shire Council meeting held on 23 September 2026.
Closure There being no further business, the Chairperson closed the meeting at 5:47 pm. Confirmed Russell Fitzpatrick (digitally signed) Chairperson of the meeting of the Bega Valley Shire Council held on Wednesday, 23 September 2026.
Closure and confirmation
Open original minutes ↗Source record
Reporting from the confirmed public minutes of Bega Valley Shire Council’s ordinary meeting on 23 September 2026.
Key facts from the minutes
- Resolution 132/26 records approval of a $15,525.60 water-consumption charge concession for 21 Marine Parade, Merimbula.
- The concession was made under Procedure 4.07.02, Water and Sewer Billing, Concessions and Reduction.
- Resolution 133/26 increased the CEO’s delegated authority for eligible water and wastewater consumption-charge reductions from $10,000 to $50,000.
- The delegation vote was recorded as six in favour and three against.
- The minutes list Cr O’Neil as both in favour of the concession and absent from that vote, preventing verification of the actual concession vote tally from the supplied record.
Why it matters
- The recorded concession affects 21 Marine Parade, Merimbula. Separately, eligible applicants seeking larger water or wastewater consumption-charge reductions may now have applications considered under a CEO delegation of up to $50,000, subject to the adopted procedure.