COUNCIL ELECTIONS: Labor promises to end rate rises across Lake Macquarie

In 2011, the council unanimously backed a nearly 70 per cent residential rate hike over seven years - and 90 per cent for businesses - described as the largest rate rise in NSW history at the time.

But the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal was "not convinced" the increase was necessary, ruling in favour of a 55 per cent increase for residents and 71 per cent for businesses. 

The hike will expire at the end of the 2018/19 financial year, during the course of the next term of council. 

Mayoral candidate Kay Fraser said the party had "no intention" of backing further hikes because it had been “very successful” in balancing its books.  

"We had an infrastructure backlog, we also wanted to put resources into our libraries and pools and we've been able to deliver that," she said. 

But Liberal mayoral candidate Jason Pauling did not agree, saying while rates had continued to climb, a "better city has not been delivered."

He accused the current administration of focusing on "propaganda, accolades and awards" at the expense of "appropriate governance".

"One of the issues residents have been raising is perceived waste and council's focus on pet projects ...Glendale and Speers Point Park are a good example.

"These are good facilities but they have been at the expense of some of the other more fundamental requirements of the city."

Mr Pauling said it would be irresponsible to give assurances on future rates decisions but that economic responsibility was central to his party’s platform. 

"Certainly I would have thought at the end of this period rates could drop back to the normal pegged increases,” he said. 

On average, Lake Macquarie residents forked out $1240 for rates in 2015/16, eclipsing Newcastle’s average residential rate of $1156. 

However business owners in Newcastle paid $6910 on average, compared to $4577 in Lake Macquarie. 

The Lake Mac Independents came out firmly against further increases beyond inflation, calling for council finances to be shored up using some of the $2 billion in savings expected to be generated by the Baird government’s council mergers. 

Spokesperson Luke Cubis said the savings should be passed on to councils to “ease the financial burden on ratepayers.” 

Independent Laurie Coghlan would not be drawn on which way he would vote but said when councillors declined rate rises to try and win "brownie points", it had a "snowball effect" on council finances.

"We are one of the lowest spending councils per capita per each individual," he said.

He said he believed an overhaul of the entire system by which rates were 'pegged' by IPART was needed.

"If they are pegging at 1.5 per cent and we have inflation at 2, 3 per cent, that's going to put us already behind that snowball coming down the hill.”