12 June, 2018

Council freezes rate in the dollar for fourth year

The City of Adelaide last night approved its budget for the coming financial year.

Lord Mayor Martin Haese said Council’s 2018-19 Integrated Business Plan would invest heavily in improving Adelaide’s urban infrastructure, continue to deliver several transformational projects, while minimising cost pressures on ratepayers.

“Council’s intention is to strike a balance between delivering improved services and facilities that meet our local community’s needs while still reducing our reliance on revenue from rates.”

“To this end, we will invest nearly $40 million into better city infrastructure, including $5.6 million towards main streets projects, $5.5 million for improving residential streets, and $2 million towards more laneway activations. These projects will ensure that Adelaide remains one of the world’s most liveable cities.

“At the same time, Council will leverage growth from new development activity occurring across the city to relieve cost of living pressures on residential and commercial ratepayers by freezing the rate in the dollar for the fourth consecutive year.

“The average rates payable will increase by about 1.6 per cent, which is below the current rate of inflation,” the Lord Mayor said.

Other key elements of the Integrated Business Plan include:

• Ensuring Adelaide remains one of the world’s most liveable cities by investing almost $16 million in Park Lands projects and maintenance, including $5.3 million to improve community facilities with play spaces, lighting, landscaping and accessibility
• Continuing the delivery of transformational projects such as City Bikeways, redevelopment of Gawler Place, Market to Riverbank laneways and North Terrace public realm upgrade projects (noting that several of these projects are delivered jointly with the State Government)
• Enabling economic growth by attracting new financial investment, encouraging new businesses to the city, and supporting existing businesses to grow their presence both here and overseas
• Working with strategic partners (such as the State Government, Adelaide Convention Bureau, Renew Adelaide, Education Adelaide, Festivals Adelaide and Music SA) to promote Adelaide as a destination to do business, study, visit and perform
• Investing more than $5 million into ensuring Adelaide remains a creative city, including $1.9 million for Festival & Event Sponsorship Program, $170,000 to support live music, and $852,000 to help deliver our Cultural Strategy objectives
• Supporting the community through an allocation of $7.6 million in grants, sponsorships and incentives, including the popular Sustainability Incentives Scheme and Heritage Incentives Scheme
• Planning for the redevelopment of the 88 O’Connell Street site through stakeholder engagement activities, site activation and project planning to achieve a timely development that enhances the vitality of the O’Connell Street precinct
• Establishing Adelaide as one of the world’s most connected cities by enabling services for local businesses through rollout of the Ten Gigabit Adelaide network
• Master planning and redevelopment of the Central Market Arcade into a thriving, mixed-use location to complement the Adelaide Central Market with expanded retail activities
• Progressing sustainability initiatives to deliver our strategic goal for the City of Adelaide to be he one of the world’s first carbon neutral cities, and
• Keeping any increases in Council fees and charges in line with inflation or less, and in the case of food inspection fees, waiving fees for compliant businesses.

The Lord Mayor said the Integrated Business Plan was directly linked to the delivery of Council’s Strategic Plan, with funds prioritised for initiatives that supported Adelaide becoming a smart, green, liveable and creative city.

“Council is committed to managing ratepayers’ funds carefully and responsibly, and I am confident this Plan will fulfil this intention.”

Matt Halliwell