12 May 2022
Media: Local Democracy Reporter
Topic: Legal costs relating to proposed Development Contributions Policy
Enquiry
Referring to legal advice sought in development of draft Development Contributions Policy:
There is a risk of legal challenge of the policy once implementation commences. Council has sought legal advice as to the best way to proceed with the policy.
Could the council please tell me what that legal advice has cost? Please provide the GST inclusive figure.
Response
From DCE Organisational Enablement, Thomas Collé:
We are yet to receive final invoices for legal advice sought to date, but expect this to cost between $50K and $60K (GST inclusive).
It’s important to note that if adopted, the Development Contributions Policy could recover around $31 million over the ten years of the LTP that could then be invested into new or expanded infrastructure.
Legal advice was sought to ensure the draft Policy is compliant with requirements under the Local Government Act 2022.