The District Council of Ceduna’s Annual Business Plan for 2024/2025 provides an overview of the services, programs and strategic projects Council plans to deliver to the Community in 2024/2025.

The Annual Business Plan has been prepared on the basis of Council focusing on the delivery of the traditional core Council services of Roads, Rate & Rubbish, in addition to the maintenance of existing assets and infrastructure within essential services to the Community. The services provided by Council reflect both its obligations under a range of legislation and the Community’s expressed desire for specific services, facilities and infrastructure.

In developing the 2024/2025 Annual Business Plan, Council has given particular attention to the current volatile economic climate effecting many ratepayers, whilst continuing to provide all of its current services to the Community.

In the context of these circumstances, Council plans a 4.3% overall increase in Council’s General Rate Revenue (March 2024 Adelaide full year CPI) from existing assessments rated in 2023/2024, in addition to General Rate Revenue derived from new assessments. The planned increase is necessary to offset current and forecast increases in the delivery of Council’s services of well above Adelaide’s Consumer Price Index, whilst Council also attempts to reduce operational costs to minimise increasing in rating revenue.

Following Council’s transition from utilising Site Values to Capital Values for general rating purposes in 2023/2024, Council is proposing to adjust the basis of differential rating to a combination of Location and Land Use (from just Land Use) to enable Council to re-establish a previously utilised Differential Rates (rates in the dollar) which effects specific Bulk Handling Sites throughout the Council. In addition, Council is also proposing to adjust the several differential general rates which will result in the redistribution of the General Rates payables across the community.

Council plans to apply a General Rate Cap of 14.3% to eligible assessments, to provide reasonable relief from significant increases in general rates resulting from Council’s planned General Rating restructure.

Key elements of the 2024/2025 Annual Business Plan include –

• $0.327 Million Operating Deficit (before Capital Amounts), resulting from Total Operating Revenues of $13.144 Million and Total Operating Expenses of $13.471 Million
• 4.3% increase in Total General Rate Revenue levied on existing assessments
• Modification of basis of General Differential Rating to introduce an additional Differential General Rate category
• 14.3% General Rate Cap for eligible assessments
• Overall 3.2% increase in Service Charge revenue (including reduction in one Service Charge)
• $3.758 Million in Capital Expenditure for the refurbishment of existing assets
• $1.312 Million in Capital Expenditure for the construction or purchase of new assets or upgrading of existing assets
• No new borrowings, with repayments of $0.418 Million on existing borrowings.