Wattle Range Council is set to increase its rate revenue by almost 8.5% in the coming 12 months.
Council has devoted four workshops to devising its 2023/24 financial blueprint and it is expected to adopt the draft budget when it holds its June monthly meeting in Millicent tonight.
Once the draft document is endorsed for public comment, the community has a few weeks to respond before the final 2023/24 budget is endorsed.
Rate revenue drawn from existing properties is forecast to increase by 7.9% in this period while council anticipates an additional 0.47% will come from new developments. In all, Wattle Range Council expects to spend $31.5m in the next financial year and have an operating deficit of $2.4m.
The supporting commentary which appears in the agenda for tonight’s meeting states the council’s main expenditure priorities will be roads, a new council office in Millicent and various items of plant and equipment.
Although planning is well advanced for a new council office on North Terrace, no final decision to proceed with its construction has yet been taken by Wattle Range Council.
Nevertheless, the yet-to-be-adopted 2023/24 draft budget anticipates the new Millicent council office will be built in stages and so it has set aside an initial sum of $3m for this period.
Another uncertainty has been created in recent weeks by the discovery of extensive leakage from the Millicent swimming lake.
Investigations into the cause and solution are under way with $600,000 for repairs set aside in the draft 2023/24 budget.
Wattle Range Council heard a confidential presentation from Telstra last month with the telco looking to councils across the South East to part-fund new mobile phone towers in areas where there is poor or no phone signal.
Both parties have since been tight-lipped but Wattle Range Council has a budget line of $138,000 for this work in 2023/24.
Councillors will also ponder tonight on the fate of smaller allocations as well.
The council has signalled its financial backing for the 2024 Beachport Cray Festival By The Sea (a grant of $3000), Stand Like Stone Foundation ($2000) and refurbishment of student nurses’ accommodation at Millicent Hospital ($6000).
As well as the draft 2023/24 budget, council has much to consider in the agenda which runs to over 750 pages.
The confidential matters include a review of the visitor centre opening hours and the management contract for the Southern Ocean Tourist Park at Beachport.
The agenda has numerous references to the ongoing operation of the Millicent cattle saleyards including a notice of motion from Councillor Moira Neagle.
Her motion calls on Wattle Range Council to resume spending on the Millicent Saleyards to meet SafeWork SA requirements and there be a moratorium on decisions about the future of the Millicent Saleyards until June 30, 2026.
According to Cr Neagle, the result of the latest saleyards survey consultation is, again, the Millicent Saleyards remain open.
“Every time the chamber has sought to close the saleyards or sought public consultation about its future, the response has always been to keep the yards open,” Cr Neagle said.
“We should value the outcome of consultation rather than appear to simply be consultative.
“The Millicent Saleyards needs a secure future to promote its sales and to implement other actions to maximise the economic efficiency of the yards and surrounding land.
“The agricultural sector contributed a significant amount to our rates revenue and consultation indicates that this service is one they want to keep.
“The indicated commitment to our saleyards inherently has significance beyond throughput numbers and goes to the heart of what is important to this community.”
