[Andrew Butcher]

Revenue NSW has created this webpage to support councils with their preliminary land classifications.

ESF reform website

Classification guidelines Preliminary-Land-Classification-Guidelines-2024

Manual is not ready at this stage, I will load it once we have a final version.

Regards,

Andrew

[Dallas McConnell]

Thanks Andrew,

I dont seem to have access to the ESF reform website.

this is the error i receive
That didn’t work
We’re sorry, but dmcconnell@wollongong.nsw.gov.au can’t be found in the nswgov.sharepoint.com directory. Please try again later, while we try to automatically fix this for you.

[Andrew Butcher]

Ok, so I might have jumped the gun a little bit.

If you registered for the original Webinar scheduled for 18 September 2024 should have access to the website.

If you did not register for the original Webinar scheduled for 18 September 2024 your council will soon receive a registration request, which will allow you access.

Please accept my apologies for any inconvenience, the Webinar and the guidelines are the only two items available:

Webinar

Preliminary-Land-Classification-Guidelines-2024

Regards,
Andrew

[Dallas McConnell]

No troubles,

I did register for the one on the 18th, but assume something will come through soon.

thanks!

[Kim Mitchell]

Has anyone done the letter of intent yet and if so do you have a template

[Andrew Butcher]

Hi Kim

Is your post in relation to the GM signing off agreeing that council will undertake the ESF classifications? If so then this document will be included in a portal specific to each council for downloading.

Revenue NSW advised the workgroup yesterday that each council will be sent an email for one person to register on their Managed File Transfer (MFT) portal. In the MFT will be the letter, the VG data file and the council classification (return) data file for downloading. Once the letter is signed it will need to be uploaded through the MFT portal and council will be paid, followed by your completed classification file (by 2 December).

Revenue NSW also advised yesterday that the MFT and Preliminary Classification Manual will be made available next week. NSWRP, LGNSW and the OLG raised concerns (again) around the timing.

Hope this all makes sense let me know (or anyone else) in the forum, so everyone sees the response.

Regards,
Andrew

[Trevor Holland]

Thanks Andrew

Just like last time with the FESL.

Anything to do with State Government. They take their time getting everything organised and then expect Council’s to work in with them.

Really concerned how Council’s are going tp be able to get everything sorted by 2 December 2024.

It is an unrealistic timeframe given that we are probably needing to work with our individual software provider.

Would appreciate if the OLG could make representations on behalf of Council’s to have the deadline for the classification file extended by at least 3 months.

Regards
Trevor

[Tracey Walker]

Hi All,

The 5 councils on the work group being Campbelltown (Pathway), Wollondilly (Authority), Ryde, Mid-Western and Sutherland (TechOne) have been documenting a guidance process to complete the classification exercise with the intent to release them shortly.

The work group has also been working on a manual in conjunction with Treasury, Revenue NSW, LGNSW and OLG, that is due to be released (advised by Revenue NSW) next week. You will need the manual to commence the completion of the VG data file and the preliminarily classification file. These files will be provided in the MFT portal that you will need to register for next week.

[Kim Mitchell]

Hi Andrew,

I have not been able to access the Revenue NSW site and have been informed by our IT Department the problem is on their end. I have advised them earlier in the week and have had no reply.

So concerned that I cant download this document which will be in the portal specific to each council for downloading.

I am also concerned about the deadline of the 2 December to get this done.

Regards
Kim

[Andrew Butcher]

Hi Kim

I have reached out directly on your behalf and asked someone from Revenue NSW to contact you.

Regards,
Andrew

[David Grima]

Hi all,
Does anyone else have serious doubts about getting data to Revenue NSW by 2 December 2024?
By the time we get the file, paperwork, manual, extract data from T1 we will have 4-5 weeks to get it done AND it’s not like we have nothing else to do.
My understanding that if we don’t commit to the 2 December 2024 then we don’t get the funding but then what happens when (not if) we miss the deadline.
Dave

• This reply was modified 1 year, 7 months ago by David Grima.

[Andrew Butcher]

Hi David

We are working with Revenue NSW and Treasury to make this as easy as possible for councils, there are fine provisions built into the legislation if you do not meet the classification legislation.

We have been advised that the Manual will be made available this week to assist you with classifications.

Regards,
Andrew

• This reply was modified 1 year, 7 months ago by Andrew Butcher.

[Andrew Butcher]

FYI the VG data file (when supplied) will represent all Property ID’s (PIDS) for your council as at the first week of October 2024.

Accordingly, any supps received prior to early October that remain unprocessed will not have matching PIDS in your council data. Conversely, if your supps are bang up to date you should have no issues.

Importantly, you only need to process a land classification return for the PID’s supplied in the VG data file – you do not need to add any additional supps to the data file.

Revenue NSW has advised that the Manual will be available this week and will be making every effort to get you the VG data file as soon as possible.

You will need the VG data file before you can start matching PID’s and you will need the Manual before you can then start classifying properties.

Regards,
Andrew

[David Grima]

Hi Andrew,
First up, thanks for all you do mate.
I just want to be clear that I am not shooting the messenger with these words so please don’t take them personally.
Q: If they (Revenue NSW & Treasury) knew this was all happening, why wouldn’t they have had everything (i.e. the manual, the VG data, access to the portal, the templates, even the bloody letter) ready?????
Hence my serious doubts about getting info to them by the deadline, as you say, we can’t make a start until we get these things.
We are in the process of telling them that we won’t meet the deadline and our GM fully supports my view.
We barely have enough time to complete existing workloads left alone this being forced upon us (to complete in less than 6 weeks).
And yes, I know that there are provisions to fine (Council I assume) but they can fine all they want but we won’t be paying it.
You might recall my angst (and me being very vocal) the last time they tried pushing this through and look at what happened in the end.
Might see some more entertaining emails flying by way of Revenue NSW.
Dave
PS despite the best efforts of the working group(s), based on what I know of Tech One I don’t even see how we can get the data into the format that they want – did they even consult anyone before deciding upon it?

[Andrew Butcher]

Hi Dave

No worries, not taking this personally but there a number of us that have taken a lot of our own time to prepare and support our colleagues with what the government has mandated through legislation. The forum has been created to improve and elevate the general knowledge of rating and revenue raising functions.

I feel your frustration and on behalf of the sector we are working on solutions to help councils work through the steps to get to the classification file. And have also spent a lot of time collaborating with the government to reduce the impost on councils through negotiations on the data requirement in the Manual. It could have been much more difficult.

We have also found many links to data sources that the government agreed to include in the Manual to help find the classification information in your area.

Also, we have been in contact with the three main software vendors (Tech1, Pathway and Authority) and will continue to seek any assistance from them in providing support, at this stage the process does not need vendor intervention at a council level. There are three highly skilled Tech1 software users on the workgroup who have spent many personal hours working on a solution, they have also been in touch with the vendor.

The council representatives have all agreed that the best solution is to conduct all processes in the data files provided by Revenue NSW. To be clear, this will require system interrogation and extraction of data so matching can be conducted within the excel spread sheet. Accordingly, the VG data will require PID matching as step one, step two will require classification data to be stored against the VG data file and this will form the basis of your return file.

We have tested some suggested processes and the Tech1 support council completed 95% within 2-days using desktop analysis.

Agreed on the time it has taken and the short turnaround, however you need to remember that the data is based on your best efforts to complete classifications. LGNSW will be taking this short turn-around up with the Treasurer however formal extensions have not been negotiated at this stage.

I hope this finds you well and has helped with your concerns at this stage.

Regards,
Andrew

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