2025/26 Draft Annual Business Plan & Budget

What is being decided?

Wattle Range Council's 2025/26 Draft Annual Business Plan has been developed and the community are invited to provide feedback prior to its adoption.

Background

The Draft Annual Business Plan provides an overview of the services, programs and strategic projects Council plans to deliver to the community.

In 2025/26 the business plan has an increased focus on renewal of existing assets and the implementation of strategies that support our community and capitalise on attracting residents and tourists to the Council area.

One of these strategies is to advocate for improvements in the State Roads within the Council area and the draft plan highlights a stronger collaboration between our organisations to the benefit of our community. In 2025/26, Council will reconstruct 13.8 km of the Southern Ports Highway from the Southend Access Road turn-off through to the outlet at Beachport on behalf of the Department of Infrastructure and Transport.

The following initiatives are a particular focus for 2025/26:

• Increased investment and extension of services on Council’s Road network,
• Investment in the upgrade of major plant and equipment
• Increased focus on the repair of Council’s building assets,
• Continuation of renewal of coastal infrastructure,
• Furthering the strategies within Council’s tourism and marketing strategy including direct management of the Beachport Southern Ocean Tourist Park,
• Continuation of the implementation of the wayfinding signage strategy across the district.

In addition, Council will continue a number of initiatives that were implemented in prior years:

• Focus on generating economic stimulus to the greater community through major infrastructure projects;
• Continuation of the allocation of $100,000 to enable community groups an opportunity to access these funds for major infrastructure projects; and
• Prepare “Shovel Ready” strategies that can be utilised to leverage future grant opportunities for major infrastructure projects.

In developing this Annual Business Plan, Council encountered many competing demands for community projects, annual cost increases, and the ongoing requirement for asset renewals all need to be prioritised.

A significant challenge to Council is the cost of waste management disposal. The waste management cost of disposal at Mount Gambier’s Caroline waste disposal facility is set to escalate by a further 11% in 2025/26. In order to cover this additional cost, the waste management charge payable by ratepayers is set to increase by $19 per 3 bin pick up and $13 per 2 bin pick up respectively to cover this service fee.

The challenge for Council is to deliver a budget that meets current and future community expectations whilst limiting any rate increases and minimising the impact to ratepayers under the current circumstances.

In consideration of this, Council is set to raise rates by 4.2% (plus growth of 0.23% from new properties). The forecasted rate increase is in line with Council’s Long- Term Financial Plan objectives of returning to a break-even financial position in the longer term.

For the 2025/26 financial year, Council is seeking to deliver an operational budget of $46.87 Million and a capital expenditure budget of $10.73 Million. Within this budget, Council will continue to focus on increasing asset renewals.

In 2025/26, Council has allocated $6.79 Million for the renewal of a wide range of existing facilities and infrastructure. $3.94 Million has also been committed for the upgrade and acquisition of new assets.

A strong focus of the capital budget is the funding of roads. $1.2 Million has been allocated to the re-sheeting of unsealed roads and a further $1.25 Million for sealed roads across the district. In addition, Council is expending funds to purchase $3.87 Million of plant and equipment.

For the forthcoming year, Council is focused on delivering the strategies contained within the Annual Business Plan including delivery of an extensive capital works program. A full list of capital projects is available in the draft Plan.

Get involved

Written submissions for this consultation are now OPEN.

Online on the 'upload submission' link below

By post to PO Box 27, Millicent SA 5280

In person to Wattle Range Council, please note deliveries in person will need to be to the new Council Service Centre at 12 North Terrace, Millicent from 30 June 2025.

Feedback can be received until 5 pm on Friday, 11 July 2025.

Verbal Submissions

Members of the public are also invited to attend the Special Meeting of Wattle Range Council to be held on Tuesday, 15 July 2025 in the Millicent Council Chamber, at the new Council Service Centre, commencing at 5 pm, to make submissions to Council in relation to the draft Plan.

Persons intending to attend the meeting to make a submission are respectfully requested to advise Council’s Executive Assistant, Catherine Allen by telephone on 8733 0938, by 5 pm on Friday 11 July 2025.

Please note that all submissions, including the names of those responding may be tabled at a public meeting of Council unless otherwise indicated by the respondent in which case their details are to be excluded from publication.

What next?

Community feedback about the draft Annual Business Plan and Budget will be considered and a final Plan will be presented to the Council for adoption at the Ordinary Council meeting to be held on Tuesday, 22 July 2025.