Murray Bridge council plans 3.9 per cent property rate rise

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Council rate bills are likely to go up by 3.9 per cent for Murray Bridge property owners from July 1, following a decision by councillors on Monday night.

The increase – which would be 1% less than the rate of inflation – was included in a draft budget which will be put out to public consultation next week.

For an average ratepayer, it would be equivalent to a couple of dollars per week.

Given four options for a rate rise, Cr John DeMichele was quick to suggest the second-lowest one.

“Our community are experiencing cost pressures ranging from high interest rates (to) increasing grocery prices (and) high fuel costs,” he said.

“But unlike our own administration, our community members have got no access to low interest rates or non-refundable government grants.”

He argued that the council needed to reduce its spending to suit the times.

Cr Tom Haig agreed.

“Families are facing unprecedented economic hardship currently, with no end in sight,” he said.

“We have the financial capacity to help relieve some of that pain, and we can and should help them.”

According to the draft budget, the council would actually reduce the rate in the dollar it charges property owners for the fifth year in a row.

But that 11.9% decrease would be more than offset by skyrocketing property prices, which have gone up by 17.9% in the past year, according to realestate.com.au.

The council would spend $70,000 less on key projects and take about $290,000 out of its savings when compared with the 4.9% increase recommended by staff.

“We aim to strike the balance between provision of services, with a clear focus on prudent financial management, not withstanding a difficult geopolitical environment, while also ensuring we can progress priorities from our 2024-28 strategic plan,” CEO Heather Barclay and Mayor Wayne Thorley will say in an introduction to the draft budget.

“Positively, though, we've done the work over the past three years to put council in a strong, sustainable position, ensuring ... our rural city can continue to progress through this period of growth, investment and development.”

Major projects for the council over the next 12 months would include:

• renewal of open spaces like parks and sporting grounds ($1.9 million)
• investments in infrastructure like stormwater ($910,000); public toilets ($600,000); footpaths, mostly on the east side ($450,000); and road repairs
• saving energy at Murray Bridge Swimming Centre with new pool covers and filtration and heating systems ($290,000)
• a new dirt BMX track at Sturt Reserve ($230,000)

Building the budget had been “quite a journey”, corporate and innovation general manager Rudi Deco suggested, with plenty of robust discussions at a series of councillor briefing sessions.

Rising costs, fuel prices and interest rate rises had all factored into those discussions.

But the council had made extra savings over and above a $350,000 target in 2025-26, and would continue to tighten its belt where it could.

“We attempted to balance ratepayers’ impact, service delivery, use of funding sources and long-term financial sustainability,” he said.

The draft budget does not yet “fully incorporate” the sale of Lerwin, for which numbers are still being crunched.

A decision on how to spend any funds left over from that sale will be made by the next Murray Bridge council, following elections in November.

In the meantime, members of the public will be able to have their say about the proposed budget between next Wednesday, May 20, and June 9.

A public meeting will be held at the Murray Bridge council office on June 9.

• Have your say: Visit letstalk.murraybridge.sa.gov.au from next Wednesday.

Correction: The spelling of a name has been corrected.