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
Walcha's direction is set out in its Community Strategic Plan 'Walcha 2035' (adopted June 2025), supported by a four-year Delivery Program, an annual Operational Plan and budget, and a Long Term Financial Plan — with financial sustainability after the 2023 special rate variation, the council-run Apsley Riverview aged care facility, and the arrival of renewable energy and transmission projects as the recurring themes.
The council manages local and rural roads, water and sewer, waste, parks, planning, a library, a preschool, a pool and a residential aged care facility across a 6,261 km² tablelands LGA of about 3,000 people. Its five CSP themes are Better Government, Stronger Community, Business Jobs and the Economy, Local Environment, and Liveable Communities; the Delivery Program is the elected council's statement of commitment for its term.
Walcha met 6 of the 9 OLG benchmarks in 2023–24, missing own-source revenue (36.4%), infrastructure backlog (12.8%) and asset maintenance (71.1%). The council's Financial Sustainability Review page records that it engaged the University of Technology Sydney to review its finances, that the independent team concluded the council was not financially sustainable, and that it consequently sought a special rate variation — which IPART approved in June 2023 for 57.74% over three years to 2025–26, retained permanently. In the 2035 Community Strategic Plan the Mayor writes that the council has met the commitments it made to the community and to IPART alongside that variation. The 2026–27 Operational Plan, budget, fees and charges and revenue policy went on public exhibition in May 2026.
Underway now
Renewable energy zone and transmission — council advisory role
Advisor role funded from 2025; transmission route released October 2025The Walcha LGA sits within the New England Renewable Energy Zone, and in October 2025 a new route was released for two transmission lines running from Bayswater to Black Mountain. The Mayor's December 2025 column reports that EnergyCo has provided affected councils with $250,000 a year for three years, and that Walcha is using part of that funding to employ a Senior Renewable Energy Advisor to give strategic advice to the General Manager, councillors and community on renewable energy and transmission projects. A councillor sits on the New England REZ Community Reference Group, and the Mayor is a member of the Coalition of Renewable Energy Mayors. The council states it is advocating on the terms of the rollout; we report what the council has published and take no position on the projects themselves.
Recently delivered
Council takes over the Apsley Riverview aged care facility
Heads of Agreement signed August 2024; contract resolved October 2024After a transition process the council says took 16 months, Walcha Council resolved at its October 2024 meeting to sign the contract acquiring the Apsley Riverview Aged Care Facility from Presbyterian Aged Care, and now runs it as a council service. A pro-bono Riverview Advisory Committee and a Riverview Clinical Governance Committee — including non-councillor members with aged care or medical qualifications — oversee clinical and compliance reporting. A new Facility Manager was appointed in August 2025.
Source: Walcha Council — Media Release, Apsley Riverview Aged Care Facility (2 December 2024)
Special rate variation and the UTS financial sustainability review
Approved June 2023; phased 2023–24 to 2025–26, retained permanentlyWalcha Council commissioned the University of Technology Sydney to review its finances after adopting deficit budgets; the independent team (Professors Drew, Miyazaki and Ferreira) reported that the council was not financially sustainable, and the council published the full report set along with efficiency, capacity-to-pay and debt-capacity reports, a "We are Walcha" brochure, seven community meetings and two ratepayer surveys. IPART approved the resulting application in June 2023: a permanent special variation of 57.74% over three years (36.5%, 8% and 7%), worth up to $4.5 million in additional general income, kept permanently in the rate base.