governance · Liverpool City Council
Liverpool Council moves 19 May meeting to 18 May and asks for budget modelling
Liverpool City Council has moved its ordinary meeting to Monday 18 May 2026 at 6pm and directed the CEO to model changes to budget, waste, parks and reserve funding.
Liverpool City Council has moved its ordinary meeting from Tuesday 19 May to Monday 18 May 2026, with the meeting now due to start at 6pm. The change was adopted at an extraordinary council meeting held on 12 May 2026.
Councillors first rejected a motion to go into closed session under section 10A(2)(a) of the Local Government Act 1993. The motion, moved by Cr Macnaught and seconded by Cr Harte, was lost 6 votes to 5.
Mayor Mannoun, Cr Adjei, Cr Ammoun, Cr Harte and Cr Macnaught voted for the closed session motion. Deputy Mayor Harle, Cr Karnib, Cr Ibrahim, Cr Monaghan, Cr Munjiza and Cr Ristevski voted against it.
Council then resolved to have the CEO model a series of changes for the Draft Delivery Program 2026-2030, Operational Plan 2026-2027, Long-Term Financial Plan and Revenue Pricing Policy before the next meeting.
The modelling request includes lifting employee costs to $114,598,373 for 2026-27. The minutes say that figure represents a 7.25% increase in Council’s wage bill between 2025-26 and 2026-27.
Council also asked for $650,000 to begin a neighbourhood model of compliance and presentation from the general reserve, and $675,000 for the Parks team to lift service provision during peak periods.
A further $400,000 was flagged for an upgrade to Ernie Smith Reserve from the General Property Reserve. The CEO was also asked to provide scenario analysis comparing employee costs of $116,971,210 with $114,598,373, and to include filling 26 vacancies across the Operations Directorate.
Waste services formed part of the same request. Council wants modelling for an extra yellow bin service funded from the Domestic Waste Levy, a shift from two household pickups a year to four, and a change to the large red bin upgrade rule from six family members per household to five.
The meeting also noted NSW Government changes to the Model Code of Meeting Practice, adopted by Council in 2025, which ban councillor briefing sessions. The CEO advised that any decisions on the draft DP/OP, LTFP and Revenue Pricing Policy must be made as a resolved position of Council.
The extraordinary meeting finished at 8.18pm. The ordinary council meeting will now be held on Monday 18 May 2026 at 6pm.
Reference minutes
Source: Liverpool City Council Extraordinary Council meeting, 12 May 2026.
Key facts from the minutes
- Council changed the ordinary meeting date from Tuesday 19 May 2026 to Monday 18 May 2026 at 6pm.
- The motion to go into closed session was lost 6 votes to 5.
- Council asked the CEO to model employee costs of $114,598,373 for 2026-27.
- The minutes describe that figure as a 7.25% increase in council’s wage bill between 2025-26 and 2026-27.
- Council asked for modelling on $650,000 for a neighbourhood compliance model, $675,000 for Parks, and $400,000 for Ernie Smith Reserve.
- Waste-service modelling included an extra yellow bin service, four household pickups a year, and a change to large red bin upgrade eligibility from six family members to five.
- The CEO was asked to model the filling of 26 vacancies across the Operations Directorate.
Why it matters
- Residents planning to attend Council meetings have a date change to note, while the modelling request points to possible changes in waste services, parks funding, staffing and reserve upgrades before the next round of budget decisions.