Newcastle lord mayor Gavin Morris has chaired his first council meeting after taking the Oath of Office on Tuesday night. Morris, a former NBN anchor and weatherman, officially started in the role on May 5. He chaired the development application committee meeting on May 12 and will lead his first ordinary council meeting on May 26.
In a statement, Morris said, 'It is an incredible honour and responsibility to serve the people of our city in this role, and I am grateful for the trust that has been placed in me.' He thanked councillors and council staff for their support and professionalism during the transition.
The May 12 meeting included a briefing on the draft 2026/27 budget, which is now on public exhibition. City of Newcastle business partnering lead Alex Goodwin noted that rates remain the council's largest revenue source at 56 per cent of total revenue. The council expects $257.4 million in rates revenue next financial year, inclusive of a 4.2 per cent rate peg.
User charges and fees make up over a quarter of revenue, and the council anticipates $30 million in grant income. The draft budget includes 273 projects totalling $128.5 million and forecasts a surplus of $1.4 million.
The briefing also revealed that the council is not on track to deliver at least 20 new kilometres of footpath during the term, a pledge made in a unanimous notice of motion. Council chief executive Jeremy Bath said the resolution specified 'new' footpath, and while the council has focused on the western corridor, several kilometres of replacement footpath do not meet that requirement.
