Draft Long Term Financial Plans 2023 - 2033

The LTFP is shaped around the goals and objectives of the Community Plan 2020-2035 and sets a road map to implement the community's priorities for the coming decade. 

For many of our services, it's business as usual

The Council delivers a wide range of activities, services and facilities that people, families and businesses use and rely on every day. We intend to continue to deliver most of these at the current level, adding value and improvements where we can within the existing budgets.

We invite you to join the conversation on preparing for the future. Ask a question, make a comment, start a discussion.

Conversation starters:

“Vibrant communities cannot be achieved if the investment is only in particular areas!”

“More maintenance spent in smaller communities”

“People of our district love to get out and about on their bikes and walking when they feel safe to do so. Let's create a great network of safe and scenic walking/cycling tracks.”

“Let’s make sure that older people and people with disabilities are really factored into projects, make things really accessible, not just public facilities, but the way we consult, talk, and interact.”

Each year the population of Mount Barker regional centre grows by around 2.6%, although this has been significantly higher in the last two years. With this growth comes the need and expectation to provide infrastructure and services and protect heritage and community values as Mount Barker evolves into a small, modern and progressive city. Growth infrastructure is equally as important to the smaller towns and villages of the district as it is to Mount Barker in servicing residents and businesses.

A Total of $155.2M has been provisioned for wastewater capital projects and program over the LTFP period. These projects will be funded by both Annual Charges and Developer Contributions.

More information on Wastewater services can be found in the of the Draft Wastewater Service Long Term Financial Plan 2023-2033

We invite you to join the conversation on wastewater services. Ask a question, make a comment, start a discussion.

Possible talking points to start things off:

"Council should force developers to pay more for wastewater infrastructure."

"I am in a township that doesn't have Council wastewater services. Why should my rates be paying for upgrades to this infrastructure and delivery of the service."

Borrowing money to pay for things over time means that current and future ratepayers are contributing to the costs of the services and facilities they are using and benefiting from.

 For example, some assets have a lifespan of more than 50 years, and debt helps to spread costs between those using the assets now and those using them in the future.

 Borrowing money also means that we can deliver some projects that might otherwise be unaffordable.

 As debt is repaid through rates revenue, we need to be mindful about how much we borrow. This is why we have a long-term view of debt and why we set a limit on how much borrowings will be required to fund the Plan.

 As a growth Council, debt is required to ensure intergenerational equity. In comparison with other similar Councils across South Australia and noting Council also receives developer contributions (not included in the ratio) to fund growth, an average net financial liabilities ratio of 117% over the life of the plan, decreasing in the latter years as debt is repaid, indicates Council remains financially sustainable.

More information on intergenerational growth projects from page 12 of the Draft Consolidated Long Term Financial Plan 2023-2033.

We invite you to join the conversation on intergenerational growth projects. Ask a question, make a comment, start a discussion.

Conversation starters:

"Great to see some big projects getting up and running"

"Reducing debt should be council’s priority not incurring more debt"

“Let’s make sure that older people and people with disabilities are really factored into projects, make things really accessible, not just public facilities, but the way we consult, talk, and interact.”

Due to current economic conditions and forecast high inflation continuing beyond 2023, Council have taken a ‘smoothing’ approach to general rate increases for the next 3 years and intends to manage its expenditure within this plan to minimise the impact on ratepayers.

After smoothing, the resulting average rate increase for the first three years of the LTFP will be 4.5 percent*. This has the effect of reducing the rates increase for year one (2023/24). Rates increases for the remaining seven years will continue to be calculated annually. 

*The average rate increase per annum is based on the total of all rateable properties. Individual ratepayers rates increase may be different dependent on the change in valuation of their property relative to the overall valuation changes across the Council area.

The smoothing strategy applies to general rates only, it does not extend to annual service charges (also see Key Assumptions). Decision making on general rates and annual service charges occurs annually in July following community consultation.

More information on rate setting from page 27 of the Draft Consolidated Long Term Financial Plan 2023-2033.

We invite you to join the conversation on rate setting. Ask a question, make a comment, start a discussion.

Conversation starters:

 “There is confusion over who does what and how things work, how the whole process of local government works, how rates are set, where the money is spent, what people can do if they think rates are too high.”

“I have been a ratepayer at this property since 2004 and have experienced a huge jump in rates increases over the last 10 years.”