APC Adopts Conservative Budget for 2020 - 2021

Published 10th July 2020

Adelaide Plains Council is pleased to announce that, at a meeting held on 8 July 2020, Council Members adopted the 2020/2021 Annual Business Plan (ABP) and Budget.

“Our ABP and Budget for 2020/2021 is quite different from what we expected six (6) months ago, mainly due to the uncertain economic situation we now face due to COVID-19. We have been very mindful of the impact on our ratepayers and have therefore adopted what we consider to be an extremely conservative budget”, said Mayor Wasley.

Key features of the ABP and Budget include:

A focus on achieving long term financial sustainability, with a forecasted operating surplus of $83,292 for the 2020/2021 financial year – the first time that an operating surplus will be achieved in over a decade
In achieving an operating surplus, Council has reduced the rate in the dollar by 1% across all properties from what was adopted last year
A reduction in loan borrowings from the forecast amount of $810,175 to $451,928 as a result of removing a number of capital projects from the Draft ABP and Budget
The majority of property owners (54.03%) will have their general rates reduced this financial year (compared to the general rates paid in 2019/2020).

Council’s capital works program for 2020/2021 will see the amount of $2.589m injected into capital works projects. This figure comprises, amongst other aspects, the following:

$1.113m for unsealed road renewal, equating to 29kms of road network
$690,212 for sealed road renewal, equating to 15kms of road network.

A further $1.026m, of which $700,000 is grant funding, will be injected into the Two Wells Main Street upgrade. In addition, Council has secured $345,459 under the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program, with projects yet to be determined.

Praising Council Members for their diligence during a difficult time, Council’s Chief Executive Officer, James Miller, said, “Council ought to be commended for the manner in which it presided over the setting of rates for the 2020/2021 financial year, particularly in the context of the difficult economic situation we are facing due to COVID-19. Pleasingly, Council was able to adopt its budget one (1) week into the financial year, which now enables work to commence on the various projects, programs and initiatives included in the adopted ABP and Budget”, said Mr Miller.

Mayor Wasley reminded ratepayers who may be suffering from financial hardship to apply for Council’s rate relief, “We encourage those who are doing it tough to contact Council to access the rate relief as no fines or interest will be incurred on late first quarter rate payments until 1 November 2020”.

Mark Wasley

Mayor

10 July 2020