North Sydney Council Faces Backlash Over Proposed Rate Hike

North Sydney Council has descended into chaos after a motion passed in favour of an almost 100 per cent rate hike, sparking furious uproar among locals.

The public gallery in the chambers was packed with worried residents on Monday night who used the opportunity to protest against the proposed rate hike, which was revealed just two weeks ahead of the meeting.

Hundreds turned out for the Council hearing, with some spilling out onto Miller Street as there was not enough room in the chamber.

Liberal Councillor Jess Keen told SkyNews.com.au there was a "lot of angst and anger" in the chamber on Monday night.

"It was hot, people were very unhappy," she said.

"I had people in tears talking to me, I had people saying 'I don't know how to make ends meet'. These are residents who have lived here a long time."

The rate hike comes as a result of the council's ongoing and disastrous handling of the redevelopment of the famous Olympic pool.

Its redevelopment is now expected to cost about $122.2 million, a significant increase on the previous estimate of $91.5 million.

The cost blowout is partly due to multiple delays, with a completion date now expected about May this year.

The pool was initially slated to cost around $30 million at the start of its redevelopment.

It was flagged to be a major factor in the rate hike, but Ms Keen said that was not the case.

Of the $558 million in incremental revenue the rate hike is expected to bring in for the Council, Ms Keen said $50 million of that was for the pool.

"So this is where they're using the pool, but it's not the pool, there are eight informing strategies which are nice to have, which are unbudgeted ... and they're $140 odd million, it's unfair," she said.

Ms Keen also said residents didn't need to be slugged with extra fees to pay for the pool, suggesting Council could sell assets or cut costs to help cover the price.

The Councillor said the Teal, Labor and Greens members on the Council "vote as a block" but they failed to be swayed by the pleas of locals to show some mercy with the rate hike.

"Doesn't the amount of people and how upset they are, give you the indication of how the community feels? That wasn't taken into consideration last night," she said of her colleagues.

The chaotic meeting led to independent Mayor Zoe Baker losing her cool with the raucous public gallery, accusing them of not showing Labor councillors the same respect as Liberal representatives.

"I'm stopping the clock because this is an outrage!" she hit back after an interruption.

"You're happy to listen to the Liberal Party councillors but you will not listen to those who aren't."

The proposed special rate variation (SRV) will see a 45 per cent increase for the 2025-26 financial year and a 29 per cent increase for the 2026-27 financial year.

The Council's executive summary said the "cumulative impact" of the proposed SRV is 87.05% over two years.

Businesses and local residents are set to hurt badly as a result of the shocking rate increase.

Ms Keen said there had also previously been an 'ability to pay' study which revealed 43 per cent of North Sydney residents were "at risk", meaning those who live alone, pensioners, and single-parent families could be hit worse than others by the hike.

Liberal Member for North Shore Felicity Wilson and Liberal candidate for Warringah Jaimee Rogers both appeared at the Council meeting, speaking on behalf of affected locals and businesses.

"This proposal is not just a number, it's a real burden for families, business owners, and even renters in our community when the cost-of-living crisis has already taken such a toll," Ms Wilson said.

Ms Rogers said businesses have told her they "don't know how they can physically manage this increase when they are already struggling to make ends meet" as their average rates are set to more than double from $6,000 to $13,000.