Rates & spending · City of Wanneroo
Wanneroo extends budget and reserves policy review dates to September 2027
The five policy review dates were extended unanimously, with finance reviews held over for a financial-sustainability assessment amid possible revenue and rating reforms.
Reporting from draft minutes. Recorded wording may change when confirmed. How this article was prepared
Wanneroo’s Strategic Budget and Financial Cash-Backed Reserves policy review dates have been extended to 30 September 2027, after the Policy Review Committee unanimously approved extensions for five policy reviews, according to unconfirmed minutes.
The 8-0 resolution on 2 November also moved the Purchasing Policy review to 30 September 2027, the Strategic Land Policy review to 30 June 2027 and the Customer Experience Policy review to 31 March 2027.
The finance reviews are being held over while the City conducts an overarching assessment of its financial sustainability and ways to strengthen reserves. The minutes say the assessment will undergo peer review and review by the Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee before planned Council consideration by June 2027.
That work may inform whether short- and long-term financial principles should be incorporated into one policy, whether the two finance policies should be streamlined alongside a possible future Revenue and Rating Policy, or whether delegations duplicated in the City’s Delegated Authority Register should be removed from the Strategic Budget Policy. The City is anticipating statutory reforms requiring a new Revenue and Rating Policy within the next 12 to 24 months, according to the minutes.
The incoming Manager Finance, who started in late October, is also expected to have input into the policy reviews. No change to rates, levies, fees or other resident charges was included in the resolution.
The Purchasing Policy review date was extended while the Contracts and Procurement team works on simplifying processes for suppliers and staff and reviews compliance after a tender required retrospective Council approval. That work is expected to continue for the next 12 months.
For the Strategic Land Policy, officers are developing two possible replacements covering land acquisitions for community facilities in East Wanneroo and commercial property investments. Revocation of the current policy would only be recommended if the replacement policies are adopted.
What deserves a closer look
The resolution extends review dates for the existing policies rather than prohibiting earlier review or adopting new financial settings.
The possible Revenue and Rating Policy and any policy consolidation remain future work, not decisions made in the resolution.
The key unresolved consequence is whether the financial-sustainability review will lead to combined or amended finance policies after Council considers it.
Questions for follow-up reporting
What recommendations will the financial-sustainability review produce for planned Council consideration by June 2027?
Will the Strategic Budget and Financial Cash-Backed Reserves policies be combined after the review?
Which anticipated statutory revenue and rating reforms, if any, will commence within the stated 12-to-24-month period?
On what date will the proposed East Wanneroo and commercial property investment policies be brought to Council, given the report's expectation of consideration in the first half of 2027?
What happens next
The financial-sustainability review is intended to undergo peer review and Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee review ahead of planned Council consideration by June 2027.
The approved review dates are 31 March 2027 for Customer Experience, 30 June 2027 for Strategic Land and 30 September 2027 for the Strategic Budget, Financial Cash-Backed Reserves and Purchasing policies.
Work on the proposed replacement Strategic Land policies is intended to inform future Council consideration. Revocation of the current policy would be recommended if the replacements are adopted.
The report anticipates procurement process and compliance work continuing over the next 12 months.
Check the record
These passages were matched to the source text. Read them in context in the original minutes.
The recorded resolution approved five review-date extensions: Strategic Land to 30 June 2027; Strategic Budget, Financial Cash-Backed Reserves and Purchasing to 30 September 2027; and Customer Experience to 31 March 2027. It records unanimous approval, 8-0, with eight members listed for the motion and none against. The resolution changes review dates, not rates, levies, fees or resident charges.
Risk Management Considerations There are no existing Strategic or Corporate risks within the City's existing risk registers which relate to the issues contained in this report. Policy Implications Nil Financial Implications Nil CITY OF WANNEROO MINUTES OF POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETING 02 NOVEMBER, 2026 314 Voting Requirements Simple Majority Moved Cr Berry, Seconded Cr Rowe That the Policy Review Committee APPROVES the extension to the review dates of: 1. The Strategic Land Policy to 30 June 2027; 2. The Strategic Budget Policy to 30 September 2027; 3. The Financial Cash-Backed Reserves Policy to 30 September 2027; 4. The Purchasing Policy to 30 September 2027; and 5. The Customer Experience Policy to 31 March 2027. CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY **8/0 For the Motion: Mayor Aitken, Cr Bedworth, Cr Berry, Cr Figg, Cr Seif, Cr Smith, Cr Rowe and Cr Wright Against the Motion: Nil Attachments: Nil CITY OF WANNEROO MINUTES OF POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETING 02 NOVEMBER, 2026 315 Item 8 Date of Next Meeting The next Policy Review Committee Meeting will be scheduled for 2027, meeting dates to be determined.
Item 7.1, resolution and vote
Open original minutes ↗The report says an overarching review of the City's financial sustainability and opportunities to strengthen reserves is underway, is to undergo peer review and Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee review, and is intended for Council consideration by June 2027.
Finance Policies In line with Chief Executive Officer Key Performance Indicators, an overarching review of the City's financial sustainability and opportunities to strengthen reserves is underway. The review will be subject to peer review as well as review of the City's Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee, and is to be considered by Council by June 2027. The City is also anticipating the commencement of statutory reforms requiring a new Revenue and Rating Policy in the next 12-24 months.
Item 7.1, Finance Policies
Open original minutes ↗The City is anticipating the commencement of statutory reforms requiring a new Revenue and Rating Policy in the next 12 to 24 months.
The review will be subject to peer review as well as review of the City's Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee, and is to be considered by Council by June 2027. The City is also anticipating the commencement of statutory reforms requiring a new Revenue and Rating Policy in the next 12-24 months.
Item 7.1, Finance Policies
Open original minutes ↗The report identifies potential opportunities to align the finance policies with the financial-sustainability review, consider incorporating short- and long-term principles into one policy, consider streamlining the two finance policies and the foreshadowed Revenue and Rating Policy, and remove Strategic Budget Policy delegations duplicated in the Delegated Authority Register. It recommends deferring the finance-policy reviews until after Council considers the financial-sustainability review.
The intentions of the current Strategic Budget Policy and Financial Cash Backed Reserve Policy are reasonably contemporary. However it is anticipated that there will be the opportunity to: • Align the content to the learnings of the financial sustainability review, once it is complete and has been considered by Council • Consider incorporating both short term (budgetary) and long term principles into one policy • Consider streamlining the content of the two policies and the foreshadowed Revenue and Rating Policy, to ensure that the right content is in the right policy, and whether all three policies are required • Removing delegations embedded in the Strategic Budget Policy which are duplicated in the City's Delegated Authority Register. As such it is recommended that the reviews of these policies are deferred until after consideration of the financial sustainability review by Council.
Item 7.1, Finance Policies
Open original minutes ↗The report describes procurement process simplification and compliance work following the need for retrospective Council approval of a tender, with that work anticipated to continue over the next 12 months.
Deferring the policies will also allow consideration by the incoming Manager Finance who commenced in late October 2026. Purchasing Policy The current focus of the Contracts and Procurement team is on simplifying procurement processes for suppliers and staff, and reviewing compliance given a recent retrospective approval of a tender being required by Council. This includes, for example, simplifying the requirements of the Procurement Evaluation Plan to be more fit for purpose given the nature of the procurement, and simplifying the process for exercising contract extension options. This should make it easier for suppliers to do business with the City. This is an ongoing stream of work anticipated to continue over the next 12 months. In addition, the Manager Contracts and Procurement role is currently occupied on an Acting basis, with the intention to appoint a two year fixed-term Manager to the role as part of the Reimagine program.
Item 7.1, Purchasing Policy
Open original minutes ↗Replacement Strategic Land policies are being developed for East Wanneroo community-facility land acquisitions and commercial property investments. Council consideration is anticipated in the first half of 2027, and revocation of the current policy would be recommended if the new policies are adopted.
The Committee deferred the item, requesting additional information before considering an update. CITY OF WANNEROO MINUTES OF POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETING 02 NOVEMBER, 2026 312 Since that time, work has progressed on replacing the Strategic Land Policy with two new policies, to separate consideration of land acquisitions for community facilities in East Wanneroo, and commercial property investments. This is in line with the requirements to implement the East Wanneroo Land Acquisition Strategy adopted by Council in June 2026. The draft new policies are due for discussion at a Concept Forum in early November. A further deferral of the review of the Strategic Land Policy is sought until the new policies can be considered by Council, likely in the first half of calendar year 2027. If the new policies are adopted, revocation of the current policy will be recommended.
Item 7.1, Strategic Land Policy
Open original minutes ↗The report says deferring the policies will allow consideration by the incoming Manager Finance, who commenced in late October 2026.
Deferring the policies will also allow consideration by the incoming Manager Finance who commenced in late October 2026. Purchasing Policy The current focus of the Contracts and Procurement team is on simplifying procurement processes for suppliers and staff, and reviewing compliance given a recent retrospective approval of a tender being required by Council.
Item 7.1, Finance Policies
Open original minutes ↗The source is labelled unconfirmed minutes of the Policy Review Committee meeting held on 2 November 2026.
Unconfirmed Minutes Policy Review Committee Meeting Minutes 6:00PM, Monday 02 November, 2026 Council Chamber (Level 1), Civic Centre, 23 Dundebar Road, Wanneroo wanneroo.wa.gov.au UNCONFIRMED MINUTES OF POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON MONDAY 02 NOVEMBER, 2026 CONTENTS ITEM 1 ATTENDANCES 1 ITEM 2 APOLOGIES AND LEAVE OF ABSENCE 1 ITEM 3 PUBLIC QUESTIONS 1 ITEM 4 CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES 2 4.1 MINUTES OF POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON 31 AUGUST 2026 2 ITEM 5 REPORTS 2 MINOR REVIEWS 2 5.1 LOCAL PLANNING POLICY 3.3: FAUNA MANAGEMENT 2 5.2 LOCAL PLANNING POLICY 4.19: MEDIUM DENSITY HOUSING STANDARDS 16 5.3 LOCAL AREA TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT
Document title
Open original minutes ↗Source record
Reporting from the City of Wanneroo’s unconfirmed minutes of the Policy Review Committee meeting held on 2 November 2026.
Key facts from the minutes
- The unconfirmed minutes record approval of five review-date extensions unanimously, 8-0, on 2 November 2026.
- The Strategic Budget Policy and Financial Cash-Backed Reserves Policy review dates were extended to 30 September 2027.
- The financial-sustainability review is expected to be considered by Council by June 2027 after peer and Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee review.
- The City anticipates statutory reforms requiring a new Revenue and Rating Policy within 12 to 24 months.
- No rates, levies, fees or resident charges were changed in the recorded extension resolution.
Why it matters
- The extensions leave the current financial, procurement and land policies in place while work that could shape future budgeting, reserves management and revenue-policy arrangements progresses. The extension resolution does not adopt any new rates, fees or charges.