The New South Wales Minister for Local Government, Don Page, has hit out at the expected cost increases that the state’s councils will face after the Federal Government’s Carbon Tax comes into force in July.

 

Mr Page said the Federal Government has not factored into account the ‘significant impact of the tax on the local government sector.’

 

Mr Page released the following estimates:

  • Dubbo City Council, which has estimated that its power bill alone will increase by $500,000;
  • Tamworth Regional Council, which will see its electricity costs increase by $300,000;
  • Camden Council, which is budgeting for Carbon Tax costs of $155,000;
  • Wagga Wagga City Council, which has already put aside $660,000 to pay for the tax; and
  • Shellharbour City Council, which estimates that it could pay up to $800,000 per annum or $15,000,000 over the life of their local tip.

 

“As Minister, I believe it is appalling that an already struggling sector like local government will have no direct compensation for the huge costs it will face due to the imposition of the Carbon Tax,” Mr Page said.

 

“Councils have been left confused and uninformed, leaving councils to play a guessing game as to how much the tax will cost them.”

 

Mr Page’s comments come after it emerged that two local councils in NSW, Shellharbor and Wagga Wagga, will be featured on the country’s top 500 polluters and will have to pay the $23 per tonne of carbon.