Newcastle and Lake Macquarie ratepayers could be left footing the bill with cut services or steeper rates after the two councils revealed they stood to lose a combined $193 million in state funding over the next decade under proposed changes to how grants are carved up.
City of Newcastle and Lake Macquarie City Council have joined with Central Coast Council and Mid Coast Council in calling on the NSW Government to pause proposed changes to 2027 Financial Assistance Grants, warning the four councils face a combined hit of almost half a billion dollars.
