Local shire councils are up in arms about the State Government’s proposed increase to the Emergency Services Levy (ESL) which some say would be “catastrophic” to council’s ability to operate as they have in the past.
In fact, councils’ peak body Local Government NSW (LGNSW) said the decision to apply sky-high increases in the ESL could see some shire councils become insolvent.
The ESL is a cost imposed on councils and the insurance industry to fund the emergency services budget in NSW. The majority is paid as part of insurance premiums, with a further 11.7 per cent picked up by councils and 14.6 per cent by the State Government…