Inverell Shire Mayor Kate Dight says Council will need to be prudent with its finances after the Independent Pricing & Regulatory Tribunal moved to recommend that the NSW Government implement a levy on declared dam owners starting the 2025/26 financial year.

Council had sought support from previous Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall and current member Brendan Moylan to object to the Dam Levy, which Mayor Dight says has gone on deaf years.

Inverell Shire Council is the owner of one declared dam being Lake Inverell Dam with the proposed levy slugging Council a fee of $12,621 for the 2025/26 financial year indexed annually by the Consumer Price Index.

Mayor Dight says it’s disappointing the government didn’t listen to Councils’ objections adding this new levy is simply cost shifting from the state government.