29 Apr, 2019

Draft City Budget to Drive Growth

A renewed focus on main streets, city businesses growth, street greening, and unique experiences and activations form the centrepiece of the City of Adelaide’s draft 2019-20 Integrated Business Plan.

Councillors have tonight endorsed the draft budget, which will freeze the rate in the dollar for a fifth consecutive year.

“This is the first Integrated Business Plan of the new Council elected in November 2018. It reflects the priorities we were elected to represent on behalf of our community,” said Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor.

“Council is committed to delivering the ‘essentials’ - high-quality services and accessible infrastructure, in a cost-effective manner.

“We continue to support the growth of our city through initiatives that promote increased private investment, attract more visitors, help to grow our residential population and create new jobs.”

The Lord Mayor said Councillors also recognised the real and ongoing cost of living pressures facing the community, both for businesses and residents.

“For the fifth year in a row, we will freeze the rate in the dollar. We will also remove all outdoor dining fees in a welcome move for the city’s hospitality industry,” she said.

“This has been achieved through sustained growth in the City and a commitment by Council to continually improve the efficiency of its operations.”

Other key features of the draft Integrated Business Plan include:

• Investment of $38.2 million in city infrastructure, including $8.1 million towards street upgrades and greening, ensuring Adelaide remains one of the world’s most liveable cities;
• Spending of $15.9 million in Park Lands projects and maintenance, including $4.1 million to improve community facilities with play spaces, lighting, landscaping and accessibility;
• Allocation of $800,000 for tree planting and street greening projects in the city’s south west and north west areas;
• Funding of $370,000 to develop Master Plans for Melbourne, O’Connell and Hutt Streets, as well as $800,000 for safety improvements to Whitmore Square;
• Continuation of the renewal of Jeffcott Street in North Adelaide and completion of the Gawler Place Development;
• Investment of $5.8 million in grants, sponsorships, incentives and support to our strategic partners;
• Progressing the next stage of the redevelopments of Eighty Eight O’Connell Street and the Central Market Arcade;
• Allocation of $1.9 million towards business growth and innovation opportunities, including $213,000 in support of Renew Adelaide, $267,000 for Study Adelaide, $266,000 for entrepreneur support initiatives and $373,000 to the Adelaide Convention Bureau;
• Providing sponsorship/grant funding to assist artistic, cultural and community organisations, including $1.9 million for festival and event sponsorship, $1.0 million for Splash Adelaide city activations, and $120,000 to support live music;
• Furthering our reputation as a connected and smart city with the continued rollout of Ten Gigabit Adelaide;
• Delivering community celebrations, such as Christmas and New Year’s Eve that are open and inclusive and provide a safe and family friendly environment in the city;
• Developing a new approach to business waste and recycling services as well as delivery of best-practice approach for waste reduction; and
• Continued investment in incentive programs of strategic importance to the city such as $1.6 million for climate change initiatives and $1.3 million for heritage preservation grants.

The Lord Mayor publicly thanked her fellow Council Members for their diligent work on the draft plan to date.

“Following five months of discussion and collaboration, I’m confident that we have crafted a balanced Integrated Business Plan which will support the city’s continued economic and cultural growth.

“Shortly I will be releasing details of how the community can get involved in learning more about this draft budget and how to provide feedback before it is finalised in June.”

Simon Latimer