Northern Beaches Council was the most complained about council in NSW, with 153 complaints received by the OLG, Office of Local Government, (download Complaint Statistics 2024-2025)— well above the state average of 15 complaints per council, and ahead of the next highest, Clarence Valley, which received 114. The top complaint categories are financial management, council […]
In December 2025, Anna Maria Monticelli, Secretary of Protect Pittwater, applied and was denied 3 minutes speaking at the last Public Forum the Northern Beaches Council held as part of council meetings. Her address articulates these ongoing concerns of the Pittwater community, many of whom have dubbed the NBC just another version of Warringah Council, […]
On November 29, 2025, residents of the Snowy Valleys Council (SVC) delivered a resounding mandate for de-amalgamation, voting overwhelmingly in favour of returning the two previous councils to their former boundaries. The referendum, requested by Minister Ron Hoenig, MP, marks the culmination of a long-standing campaign by Tumbarumba to overturn the controversial forced merger […]
On 17 July 2025 the Minister for Local Government Ron Hoenig MP announced the demerger of Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council (CGRC). Council will now commence transition work to initiate the dissolution of Cootamundra-Gundagai, and establish two new councils. CGRC Councillors met the minister in August, alongside local Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke MP and the […]
On 19 March 2025 our committee members Simon Dunn and Peter Gray met with the Hon. Ron Hoenig MP (Minister for Local Government) to present the case for reinstating Pittwater Council. Supported by local State representative Jacqui Scruby, Simon and Peter presented Protect Pittwater’s proposal, including a local petition signed by close to 5,000 […]
Protect Pittwater's refreshed proposal to reinstate Pittwater Council has been well received by residents of the former Pittwater Council area with our volunteers collecting over 3000 signatures in the past 3 months. Here's some photos of dedicated and passionate volunteers at work:
On 30 April 2024, Protect Pittwater secretary, Anna Maria Monticelli and President Simon Dunn gave a public address at the Northern Beaches Council. Speeches start at 5:38:55
On Tues 30 April 2024 Northern Beaches Council voted to defer until their June meeting a decision on whether to conduct a council-wide de-amalgamation poll to coinicide with the September 2024 Local Government elections. Pittwater ward Cr Gencher (who recently defected from Your Northern Beaches to join the Liberal Party) amended the original proposal by […]
Prior to forced amalgamation on 12 May 2016, Pittwater Council had net assets of $1,009,311,000 (just over $1Billion) from retained earnings of $866,863,000 and reserves of $142,448,000. Pittwater's rates revenue for the part year to 12 May 2016 was $43,395,000. The previous full year rates revenue was $51,107,000. Its total cash (plus equavalents and investments) […]
Pittwater Ward Councillor Miranda Korzy has put forward a motion for the Northern Beaches Council to Poll Residents as to whether they are in favour of deamalgamation. Cr Korzy's motion proposes that the formal Poll be conducted at the same time as the 2024 Local Government Elections, which is the most cost effective way to […]
Update by our Finance Analyst
Richard White, FCPA
In mid-2024 Frank Peylaire, a strategist specialising in Transaction, Advisory, Finance, and Economics and consulting to Government and very large companies, prepared a Strategic Business Case supporting the reinstatement of Pittwater Council, all based on Northern Beaches FY2023 numbers plus NBC’s then 10-year Long Term Financial Plan.
A few months after the Rate-Rise Protests around this time last year, I was asked to update Frank’s SBC with FY2024 numbers and subsequently with FY2025’s numbers.
With all the poking and probing needed before updating, it became apparent that a reinstated Pittwater Council would be viable, and importantly, that the then remaining Northern Beaches Council would remain viable - all the more so - with its subsequent 25% increase in rates.
Pittwater Council ‘ward’ was viable before the 2016 merger – and would be again, and if both councils can be shown to be viable, and given community support for the local council to be restored to Pittwater, it’s hard to see the government not agreeing to de-amalgamation by means of a Pittwater plebiscite. (This occurred in Snowy Valleys Council’s plebiscite process late last year.)
Quite apart from re-shaping the Northern Beaches Council pie into a Manly-Warringah slice and a Pittwater slice, Pittwater will have the opportunity to shape a more efficient, less top-heavy structure, meaning that a higher proportion of staff would be in service delivery: looking after pools, mowing grass, cleaning up after storms and so on, and delivering a strong community-led voice addressing local concerns.
Consulting on a more efficient structure is almost complete, after which we look forward to putting our case to the Minister for Local Government, the Hon. Ron Hoenig, MP.
Video courtesy of John Illingsworth. Website by Flow Interactive