What the council is working on
Recent deliveries, what's underway now, and what's planned next — drawn from the council's own plans, budgets and project pages. We report what the council has publicly said it's doing; every item links to its source.
The council's stated direction
Glen Innes Severn's direction is set out in its Community Strategic Plan 2025–2035, a Delivery Program 2025–2029 and an annual Operational Plan and budget, all adopted on 19 June 2025 alongside a Revised Long-Term Financial Plan 2025–2035. The dominant theme the council has set for this term is long-term financial sustainability, worked through the 'Shaping Tomorrow' community engagement program and a special rate variation approved by IPART in June 2026.
The council manages an unusually large, sparsely populated area — 5,480 km² with about 8,978 residents — including 419 km of sealed and 732 km of unsealed roads, 88 bridges, water and wastewater, four waste facilities, parks and planning. It also operates several commercial and community assets directly: the Glen Innes Saleyards, the Glen Innes Aggregates quarry, the Glen Innes Airport, the Learning Centre library and the Visitor Centre. Its Delivery Program is the elected council's statement of commitment for its term.
The council reported an operating performance ratio of −11.2% and own-source revenue of 39.1% in 2023–24, with rates and charges outstanding at 13.1% against a benchmark of under 10% for rural councils. In June 2025 it adopted a Revised Long-Term Financial Plan 2025–2035 with a target of reaching financial sustainability in 2029/30, lodged a special rate variation application with IPART on 2 February 2026, and received approval on 2 June 2026 for a cumulative 48.3% general-rates increase phased over three years.
Underway now
Special rate variation and the path to financial sustainability
Adopted June 2025; approved by IPART June 2026; phased to 2028–29After the 'Shaping Tomorrow' engagement program, councillors adopted a Revised Long-Term Financial Plan 2025–2035 on 19 June 2025 built on a special rate variation of 48.3% over three years — reduced from an earlier 55.49%-over-two-years scenario following community feedback — with the target year for financial sustainability moved to 2029/30. The plan also added $50 to the pensioner rebate, deferred Town Hall master planning and scaled back proposed waste-charge increases. Council lodged the application with IPART on 2 February 2026 and IPART approved it on 2 June 2026: 21.5% in 2026–27, 12.0% in 2027–28 and 9.0% in 2028–29, inclusive of the annual rate peg.
Source: Glen Innes Severn Council — Council adopts a path to financial sustainability
Planned / committed
FOGO kerbside service and waste and resource recovery strategy
Grant awarded April 2024; study from 2025; rollout stated as likely in 2027Glen Innes Severn has no green food-and-garden-organics bin today. Council was awarded $145,500 under the NSW Government's Go FOGO grants program in April 2024 and began a waste and resource recovery issues and opportunities study in 2025 to shape a long-term Waste and Resource Recovery Strategy, of which FOGO is one component. Council has said the rollout is likely to occur in 2027 and that the strategy will be shaped through community consultation, citing the NSW targets to halve organic waste to landfill and reach net-zero emissions from organics in landfill by 2030.
Recently delivered
Anzac Park Nature Play Park
Official opening 7 February 2026A $1.2 million nature play park at Anzac Park in Glen Innes, described by the council as one of the most significant recreation projects it has delivered in recent years. Council confirmed a permanent metal fence would be installed within the existing project budget at a cost of about $20,000, with installation from the second half of February 2026, and that the all-abilities Liberty Swing removed during the upgrade would be reinstalled.
Source: Glen Innes Severn Council — Anzac Park's $1.2 million Nature Play Park nears opening
Glen Innes Airport runway upgrade
Reopened 14 April 2025The airport reopened after rehabilitation of the main bitumen runway, new and upgraded runway lighting, and improved drainage and reshaping for water run-off. Council said the work supports essential services — the Royal Flying Doctor Service NSW/ACT landed on the new runway at the reopening. The project was jointly funded by the NSW Government's Severe Weather and Floods Grant and Infrastructure Betterment Fund and the Australian Government's Regional Airports Program.
Source: Glen Innes Severn Council — Glen Innes Airport reopens after major upgrades