Tonight’s the night – as Rod Stewart once sung (although on a different topic I suspect).

We sit down as a Council and pass (or, on one famous occasion, didn’t pass) the Council budget for this financial year.

This budget has been months in the making, having undergone hundreds of staff hours, 2 Council workshops, community consultation which only elicited 2 responses, 2 special meetings before this one, and quite a bit of juggling of what goes in or out.

Councillors (at my behest) kicked out a proposal for some public artwork in conjunction with Charles Sturt Council somewhere in Port Adelaide, and also deleted a change of fencing for Council’s main depot.

Overall, the average rate rise will be 3.9% which will be the highest for a few years, but still less than many Council’s rises, but more importantly, we are still charging far less than many Councils and getting a better job done with the money.

We are also proposing to increase the residential rate in the dollar to $0.00269, which I believe is still the 4th lowest of Adelaide’s metro Council’s RITD.

We are also increasing the minimum rate to $775 per property which is still the second lowest in the Adelaide metropolitan area (Unley just beats us).

Our overall average amount of rates payable per residential property are, and have been for many years, the lowest in metro Adelaide by a mile. We are I believe lower by over 10% to the next lowest.

All of this didn’t happen by accident. It takes hard work and scrutiny from dedicated elected members who are focussed on getting the best deal for residents and ratepayers.

This is what we are proposing to spend some of that money on –

In our ward alone in the Parks & Gardens budget:

Greenacres –

Upgrade fencing, Greenacres Reserve*

Hampstead Gardens –

Installation of BBQ and shade picnic set, The Parkway Reserve*

Hillcrest –

Upgrade car park, Hillcrest Community Centre

Northgate –

Pedestrian lights and shade structure, Vickers Vimy Reserve*

Installation of shade structure, Butler Grove Reserve^

Northfield –

Masterplan Duncan Fraser Reserve, inc upgrade cricket nets, playspace, shade structure^

Installation of lighting, and landscaping, James Reserve#

Oakden –

Footpath resurface and bridge repair, Roy Amer Reserve (part)

Valley View –

Masterplan Thomas Turner Reserve; fitness station and playspace slide, cricket nets*

Walkey Heights –

Installation of shade structure over playground^

Legend:

* I personally moved in Council/asked staff to submit for budget

^ Cr Hubycz personally moved in Council/asked staff to submit for budget

# I am moving at next week’s meeting that this work not be done at this stage due to proposed rezoning of adjacent land and the money allocated instead to FJ Garrad Reserve which is in need of upgrading.

The total for the above in our ward alone is $928,000.

There are also footpath replacements happening in many streets in Greenacres, Hillcrest and Oakden.

Road replacements to the value of $2.957M are occurring in:

Greenacres –

Floriedale Road (part); Lindley Road;

Hillcrest –

August Street, Duthie Street, Hawkins Avenue, Oxford Street (part), Voss Street;

Oakden –

Dorset Street, Kew Drive, Sir Ross Smith Boulevard;

In addition to the above, I personally asked staff and elected members that Council’s Obesity Prevention and Lifestyle Program, hitherto mainly funded by Federal and State Governments but now defunded by them, be continued due to its value to our community. This is at a cost of $131,000 for this coming year.

Our budget agenda is here: http://www.portenf.sa.gov.au/page.aspx?u=2398 and if you wish for a copy of the actual Draft Annual Business Plan and Budget (pictured) then please contact me as it is not on our website even though I shall be moving tonight that it be put there, so watch this space for an update.

Who knows, maybe the above budget won’t be passed after all, but I think it will.

What do you think?

UPDATE 8/7/15

Firstly, all budget matters were passed, almost all unanimously.

As mentioned above, whilst seconding the budget acceptance motion, I added in that the 2015/16 Draft Budget & Business Plan (which after last night should have the word ‘Draft’ dropped) be uploaded to Council’s website – Cr Croci who moved the budget agreed to this and it was passed, I think, unanimously.

This document should be on the website by Friday afternoon.