In accordance with the Board's Charter, Cr Jan McWilliams, as host Mayor, chaired the meeting and will continue to act as Chairperson until the next scheduled meeting in Bellingen in May this year.

At last week's meeting the Board adopted its five key advocacy issues considered to have the most impact on its member Councils as a whole. These issues are Financial Sustainability, Timber Bridges, Coastal Erosion, Flood Mitigation and Waste Management. Position papers in relation to each of these issues will be prepared in due course to assist the Board in advocating its position on behalf of the eight member Councils.

In relation to financial sustainability, the Board expressed its extreme concern at the recent announcement by the Minister for Local Government to set the rate pegging limit for 2010 - 2011 at 2.6%, which will not go anywhere near covering the increased costs incurred by local government.

It was noted that most member Councils had prepared their draft 2010 - 2011 budgets on an anticipated 3.5% rate pegging level, and will now have to severely cut their draft budgets further.

The Meeting noted that the reduction in the rate pegging level from the usual 3.5% to 2.6% will have the impact of cutting some $1.22 million from the total budgets of the eight Mid North Coast Councils.

Councillor McWilliams commented "this is $1.22 million that will not be available for services and infrastructure maintenance within the various communities concerned".

The MIDGOC Board accordingly resolved to write to the NSW Premier, the Minister for Local Government and the Leader of the Opposition to express its strong concerns in relation to the impacts associated with setting an entirely inadequate rate pegging level for 2010 - 2011.