Draft Annual Business Plan & Budget 2024-2025

The District Council of Grant have locked in services, programs and projects for completion in the new financial year and will now commence work to deliver them to the community.

Elected Members endorsed its Annual Business Plan and Budget for 2024-2025 at the June Council Meeting which detailed specific projects which will be undertaken over the next 12 months to maintain effective services for the district.

Council will operate with a surplus of $332,000 and operating expenditure of $19.7 million. The plan introduces a general rate increase of 4.8% which is below the state average and in alignment with Council’s Long Term Financial Plan and Asset Management Plans.

District Council of Grant Mayor Kylie Boston is confident the plan will deliver positive outcomes for the community consistent with Council’s strategic documents.

“Council remains committed in this the new financial year to bring our community priority services. We are continuing to achieve long-term goals in our current Strategic Management Plan 2020 to 2030 while also beginning to plan towards our future shared vison for the next 10 years.” Mayor Kylie Boston said.

The 2024-2025 Budget will invest in the community by carrying out major projects including funding towards Mobile Phone Telstra Towers, Local Heritage Survey and a Food Organics Garden Organics (FOGO) trial.

Council has also committed to deliver major capital works this financial year which includes $3.643 million towards a Transport and Infrastructure Program, $367,500 for upgrades to community and Council owned buildings, and $162,192 for Community Waste Management Systems. An additional $218,437 will be allocated to funding sponsorship and donations towards community groups, sporting clubs and events.

Throughout the year, Council will continue to be proactive in seeking grant funding to assist with funding and advocacies new projects to benefit the community.

A copy of the District Council of Grant’s 2024-2025 Annual Business Plan and Budget is available on Council’s website.

On the Ordinary Council Meeting held on Monday 17 June 2024, Council resolved that:

1. Receive and note Council report Adoption of 2024-2025 Budget as presented on 17 June 2024.

2. Authorise the “Budget Alterations During Community Consultation” as presented on 17 June 2024. That the Carpenter Rocks Progress Association support allocation to be subject to a scope of works approved by the Chief Executive Officer.

3. Pursuant to section 123 of the Local Government Act 1999 and regulation 6 of the Local Government (Financial Management) Regulations 2011 and having considered submissions in accordance with section 123(6) of the Local Government Act 1999, adopt the 2024-2025 Annual Business Plan, as presented.

4. Authorises the Chief Executive Officer to make any necessary minor editorial changes to the Annual Business Plan prior to formal publication.

5. Adoption of Budget Pursuant to section 123 of the Local Government Act 1999 and regulation 7 of the Local Government (Financial Management) Regulations 2011, having considered the Budget in conjunction with, and determined the Budget to be consistent with, the Council’s adopted Annual Business Plan, the Council adopts the Budget for the year ending 30 June 2025, as detailed in the budget papers laid before the Council at this meeting comprising: • Budgeted Statement of Comprehensive Income • Budgeted Cash Flow Statement • Budgeted Balance Sheet • Budgeted Statement of changes in equity • Budgeted Uniform Presentation of Finances • Budgeted Financial Indicators and all recommendations within these documents.

6. Adoption of Valuation Pursuant to section 167(2)(a) of the Local Government Act 1999, for the year ending 30 June 2025, the Council adopts for rating purposes the most recent valuations of the Valuer-General available to Council of the Capital Value of land within the Council’s area and specifies that the total of those values is $5,611,377,180 (including non-rateable land of $109,776,013).

7. Declaration of General Rates Having considered the general principles of rating outlined in section 150 and the requirements of section 153(2) and pursuant to sections 152(1)(a) and 153(1)(b) of the Local Government Act 1999, declares for the financial year ending 30 June 2025, a rate in the dollar representing the following differential rates in respect of all rateable land within its area i) 0.207345 cents in the dollar for the land use codes of (a) residential, (b) commercial shop, (c) commercial office, (d) commercial other, (e) industry light, (f) industry other, (h) vacant land and (i) other; and i) 0.186640 cents in the dollar for the land use code of (g) primary production.

8. Declaration of a Minimum Rate Pursuant to section 158(1)(a) of the Local Government Act 1999, declares that a minimum amount of $680.00 is payable by way of rates in respect of all rateable land within the Council area for the financial year ending 30 June 2025.

9. Maximum Increase Pursuant to section 153(3) of the Local Government Act 1999, the Council determines that there will not be a maximum increase fixed in the general rate to be charged on any rateable land within its area that constitutes the principal place of residence of a principal ratepayer.

10. Payment of Rates Pursuant to section 181(2) of the Local Government Act 1999, the Council declares that all rates in respect of the financial year ending 30 June 2025 are payable in four equal or approximately equal instalments with the first instalment payable on or before 6 September 2024, the second instalment payable on or before 6 December 2024, the third instalment payable on or before 7 March 2025, and the fourth instalment payable on or before 6 June 2025.

11. Declaration of Separate Rate - Cape Douglas Community Wastewater Management Scheme That Council declare, pursuant to section 154 of the Local Government Act 1999, in respect of financial year ending 30 June 2025, a separate rate of a fixed amount of $1,613 on assessments: A1493, A1494, A1543, A1544, & A1545 for the purpose of reimbursing Council for the cost of construction for the Cape Douglas Community Wastewater Management Scheme.

12. Declaration of Separate Rate - Regional Landscape Levy Pursuant to section 69 of the Landscape South Australia Act 2019 and section 154 of the Local Government Act 1999 for the financial year ending 30 June 2025, in order to reimburse the Council the amount contributed to the Limestone Coast Landscape Board, a separate rate based upon a fixed charge (and differentiated according to land use) is declared of $91.00 for land classified as Residential, Vacant and Other, of $136.00 for land classified as Commercial (Shop, Office and Other), of $217.00 for land classified as Industry (Light and Other) and of $399.00 for all land classified as Primary Production is declared on all rateable land within the region of the Board and within the area of the Council.

13. Community Wastewater Management Scheme (CWMS) Service Charges Pursuant to section 155 of the Local Government Act 1999, for the financial year ending 30 June 2025, the Council imposes an annual service charge based on the nature of the service and varying according to whether the land is vacant or occupied on all land to which it provides or makes available the Community Wastewater Management Systems being prescribed services for the collection, treatment and disposal of waste as follows: $615.00 per annum on all vacant land; and $725.00 per annum on all occupied land in that part of the townships of Tarpeena, Port MacDonnell Pelican Point, Allendale East, Cape Douglas and Donovans serviced by the Community Wastewater Management Schemes.

14. Discretionary Rebate for CWMS Pumping That pursuant to section 166(1)(a) and 166(1)(m)(ii) of the Local Government Act 1999, the Council, being of the opinion that it is desirable to do so for the purpose of securing the proper development of the townships of Port MacDonnell and Allendale East and that it is appropriate to provide relief in order to avoid the imposition of a liability that would otherwise be unfair or unreasonable, grants a discretionary rebate of $35.00 per occupied allotment in respect of the financial year ending 30 June 2025, to the owners of land in these townships who are required to supply their own pumping equipment to facilitate the proper functioning of the Community Wastewater Management Scheme.

15. Mobile Garbage Bin Service Charge Pursuant to section 155 of the Local Government Act 1999, the Council imposes an annual service charge based on the nature of the service of $300.00 for the financial year ending 30 June 2025 on all land to which it provides or makes available the prescribed service of collection, treatment and disposal (including recycling) of waste (as more particularly delineated in the map per Appendix 5 of the Annual Business Plan and found on the Council website at Mobile Garbage Bin (MGB) Information | Grant District Council (dcgrant.sa.gov.au) noting that the reducing scale of charging, as provided at regulation 13(2) of the Local Government (General) Regulations 2013, will apply in accordance with its terms, to provide relief to the charge-payer by reducing the amount payable.

Council have scheduled to invest $7.2 million in to capital works projects in the 2024-2025 financial year. These projects fall under the following categories with the associated funding amount:

• $479,500 - Building Program:
  • $342,500 - Community building projects
  • $137,000 - Administrative building projects
• $59,000 - Structure and Furniture
• $148,500 - Information and Communications Technology Program
• $3,584,241 - Transport Infrastructure Program
  • $1,282,190 - Road resheeting projects
  • $2,133,551 - Road construction projects
  • $168,500 - Footpath and kerbing projects
• $162,192 - Community Wastewater Management Systems
• $830,000 - Mount Gambier Regional Airport
• $20,000 - Mount Gambier & District Saleyards
• $1,958,000 - Feet Management and Plant Replacement Program
  • $703,000 - Fleet management
  • $1,255,000 - Plant replacement

Further details on the Capital Works Program can be found on page 17 of the Draft 2024-2025 Annual Business Plan and Budget.

The District Council of Grant is investing the following funding into key projects for our community:

• $89,000 - Telstra Towers (year 1 of 3 contribution)
• $40,000 - Local Heritage Survey and Local Heritage Code Amendment
• $80,000 - Coastal Adaptation Project (subject to additional funding from the Coastal Protection Board)
• $50,000 - Corporate Branding Strategy

Council has considered the impact of increased valuations on ratepayers and the cost of living. In response, Council is looking to implement the following key items:

• Maintain the 10% discount rate in the dollar for Primary Production property ratepayers;
• Increase the minimum rate to $680 (+$30 / 4.62%);
• Maintain differential rates by land use category.

The proposed general rate increase is 4.80% as per the December Adelaide CPI rate as reported on 31 March 2024.

There is a proposed decrease in the rate in the dollar* of approximately 1.23% for residential, commercial, industry and vacant land. This is amongst the lowest rate in the dollar in the Limestone Coast. Based on valuation movements, the average increase in residential rates will be approx. $42.00.

Council is also proposing a reduction to the primary production rate in the dollar* approximately of 1.11%, which remains 90% of the residential rate. Based on valuation movements, the average increase in primary production rates will be approximately $183.00.

*Rate in the dollar refers to the total amount of money to be raised in general rates being divided by the total value of all rateable properties within the district. The final figure is called the 'rate in the dollar'.

A major ongoing expense that Council is committed to each year is the maintenance of the road network. There are approximately 1,500km’s of sealed and unsealed roads which require regular maintenance.

The District Council of Grant has allocated a total of $2.9M (excluding depreciation of $2.7M) to maintain this road network and service standards.

Council provides essential services to our community which incur a service charge. The following service charges are proposed to be implemented in the 2024-2025 financial year:

• $300 (+$15.00) - Mobile Garbage Bin Collection Service
• Community Waste Management System
  1. $615 (+$25.00) - Vacant Land
  2. $725 (+$30.00) - Occupied

The total Regional Landscape Levy (formerly the NRM Levy) amount required to be collected will also need to be altered in the 2024-2025 financial year. This is proposed to increase by 3.04% to $706,466 as instructed by the Limestone Coast Landscape Board. Council collect this amount on the Board's behalf.

The District Council of Grant will continue to allocate funds for sponsorships, donations and community support.

It is proposed that an increase of funding is made to approximately $206,000 (+ 9,000). This will be made available to various community groups and events in 2024-2025.