ALEXANDRINA COUNCIL
ALEXANDRINA COUNCIL

ALEXANDRINA COUNCIL

MEDIA RELEASES

Council listens to community – cuts capital projects and reduces rate rise 25 June 2024

Alexandrina Council has responded to community concerns regarding the proposed rate rise by reducing operating expenses by around $270,000 and cutting a proposed 8.3 per cent rate rise to 7.9 per cent as part of its endorsed Annual Business Plan and Budget for 2024/25.

At a Special Budget Council Meeting last night, Council Members also removed or delayed more than $2.3 million worth of capital expenses and resolved not to proceed with the additional rate rise of 1.25 per cent to deliver the Township Greening Strategy and Action Plan.

Along with reducing the rate rise, the forecast deficit was also lowered from $4.6 million to $4.1 million for the 2024/25 financial year.

“It was a long night with robust debate, but as a Council I am confident that we have listened to the concerns of our community, reduced the rate rise and made some hard decisions about projects while steering a path towards the long-term sustainability of Council,” Mayor Keith Parkes said.

“This has probably been the most challenging budget I have experienced in my 14 years on Council.

“The recent revaluation of our assets in the current high-inflation environment has exposed us to significant increases in depreciation costs of $5.3 million.

“Passing this Budget is the first step in our Long-Term Financial Plan to get back into surplus. “Last night we took onboard the feedback from our community, and we went through the list of proposed new initiatives and looked at some existing projects to find savings by either removing or delaying them.

“There are no new major projects. We’re not going to do design work on upgrading the Encounter Bikeway because we don’t have the funds to match any grants that might become available, and we voted against the additional rate rise of 1.25 per cent to deliver the on-ground Township Greening while we progress with the development of the Strategy and Action Plan.

“We also asked our Administration to target $3 million in savings and efficiencies for future years, which is on top of the $5 million in savings already found in the past 18 months.

“Council is conducting reviews of services across Council, including Business Alexandrina and the Business Hub, Visitor Information Services, Centenary Hall, Strathalbyn Hall, Customer Service, Community Development, Vehicle Fleet, Wooden Boats, Field Services and Libraries. However, we need to assess the impact of reducing services before we make snap decisions.

“This is a tough budget, but Council is committed to a long-term strategy for financial sustainability.

“We appreciate that many in our community are being affected by cost rises across the board and if any ratepayer is experiencing financial hardship, we do encourage them to reach out to Council administration to access financial assistance measures.”

 Projects removed or delayed by Council resolution at the Special Council Meeting include the following:

· Agribusiness Officer to support the objectives of the Alexandrina Sustainable Agriculture Round Table – $70,631 removed

· • Enhanced Wayfinding Signage Strategy – $50,000 removed

· • Christmas holiday lifeguard Services at Goolwa Beach – $28,000 removed

· • Encounter Bikeway upgrade detailed design – $350,000 removed (*$9,625 operational)

· • Sugars Beach, Hindmarsh Island, revised concept designs – $500,000 funded in 2023/24 Budget delayed (*$27,500 operational)

· • Goolwa Yacht Club Fence – $30,000 removed (*$1,650 operational)

· • Clayton Bay BMX Track – $40,000 removed (*$2,200 operational)

· • Armfield Slip Viewing Platform – $30,000 removed (*$2,650 operational)

· • Pipers Crest Public Amenity Strathalbyn – $575,000 removed (*$31,625 operational)

· • Chapman Road Public Amenity Middleton – $700,000 removed (*$38,500 operational)

· • Excelsior Parade Pathway – $160,000 removed (*$8,800 operational). *Operational impacts include costs of borrowings.

Besides the changes made Monday night, Council also took into consideration new and revised information that has come forward since the draft 2024/25 Business Plan and Budget went out to public consultation.

That information included Council decisions to conduct a one-month trial of extended opening hours at the Strathalbyn Community Swimming Pool (an additional $30,000): a contribution for Mount Compass Netball Club’s court resurfacing to match grant funding ($50,000); and the removal of the Strathalbyn Sound Shell Project ($250,000 capital, $9,923 operational).

There was also an additional $293,000 in rates income from property growth and an extra $458,000 in Roads to Recovery Federal Grant Funding.

Additional costs of $49,000 from the Fleurieu Regional Aquatic Centre and an additional $102,375 in remodelled interest rate expenses were also endorsed

Protecting the heritage of Milang through new Code Amendment 13 June 2024

Alexandrina Council is asking the community for their views on a Code Amendment that seeks to apply a new policy to further protect the heritage of the former thriving river port town of Milang.

Community consultation on the Milang Local Heritage Code Amendment opened 13 June and closes at 5 pm on Friday 12 July 2024.

A report on the public feedback will be presented to both Alexandrina Council and then the State Government in the coming months. In March 2024, State Minister for Planning Nick Champion granted approval to the Council to initiate a Code Amendment after comprehensive research revealed many of the residential and civic buildings constructed between the 1850s and 1900 – when the River Murray was a major trade route – remain intact in Milang and invaluably contribute to the character of the town.

Milang has a small number of State Heritage-listed buildings, but no Local Heritage buildings or places have ever been listed. Council’s Milang Local Heritage Code Amendment seeks to list several buildings, places and items, and establish a Historic Area Overlay to protect the substantial heritage in this lakeside town. Council is hosting two information sessions in Milang where members of the community will be able to ask questions of Council staff about the Code Amendment. The next drop-in sessions  is

Wednesday 3 July, 3 pm – 5 pm. Presentation at 3 pm Milang Institute, 23 Coxe Street, Milang.

“Protecting and promoting Alexandrina’s history is a priority for our Council, and Milang is one of our towns with much of its early heritage still intact,” Mayor Keith Parkes said. “The early character of Milang is evident in its original subdivision pattern and surrounding parklands, and the historic buildings which remain from the 1850s to the early 1900s when Milang was a town for the district and a thriving port for the growing River Murray trade

Council announces resignation of Chief Executive Officer Nigel Morris 15 June 2024 Alexandrina Council is saddened to announce the resignation of its Chief Executive Officer Nigel Morris. Mr Morris joined Alexandrina Council as Chief Executive in May 2022 and has working as a local government CEO on the Fleurieu Peninsula for eight and a half years. Mr Morris tendered his resignation to Council Members on Tuesday evening to take up a senior leadership position as the Director of Customer and Transformation at Boroondara Council, a large metropolitan Council in Melbourne. He will farewell Alexandrina at the end of July.

Mayor Keith Parkes thanked Mr Morris for his service to Council and his commitment to the Alexandrina community. “Nigel came to us with extensive experience in local government and the issues important to the Fleurieu region and Alexandrina Council has benefitted significantly from that knowledge and his inclusive leadership,” Mayor Parkes said. “Nigel has a strong sense of community and over the past two years he has been an accessible and involved Chief Executive Officer who has fostered greater engagement and collaboration between Council and our community. “He has steered us through three budgets during challenging times as we grapple with the impacts of high inflation in a post-COVID economy, and he has done so in a way that has included more face-to-face public consultation than this Council has conducted in the past.”

 ” Mr Morris said, “It has been an incredible journey, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have been given the absolute honour of leading this amazing Council administration and being a part of this Council and community. “

First ‘restoration’ natural burial ground proposed for Goolwa 20 June 2024

Alexandrina residents are being asked for their feedback regarding a unique proposal to establish Australia’s first ‘restoration’ natural burial ground in a portion of unused land at the Old Goolwa Cemetery.

The proposal, put forward by the not-for-profit Natural Burial Ground Trust of Australia in partnership with the Nature Foundation, was considered by Alexandrina Council at its meeting on Monday night with the elected body voting to put the concept out for community consultation. Full details are available on Council’s My Say Alexandrina website www.mysay.alexandrina.sa.gov.au with hard copies available at Council offices at Goolwa and Strathalbyn.

Consultation opened today (20 June 2024) and will close at 5 pm on Friday 12 July.

Alexandrina Mayor Keith Parkes said the community was encouraged to give their feedback. “This exciting opportunity has been presented to Council, at no cost to ratepayers, to work in collaboration with the Natural Burial Ground Trust of Australia and the Nature Foundation to establish what is believed to be the first genuine ‘Restoration’ natural burial ground in Australia,” Mayor Parkes said. “Besides the fact this is a lower-cost option for burial, we know there are many people in our community who are passionate about the retention of bush sites and the natural environment and this is an opportunity to have a chemical-free, more sustainable burial that connects the death of an individual to the restoration of the planet “The difference with the proposed ‘restoration’ natural burial ground is that it is established on land that has been cleared or needs environmental restoration, and the fees charged for a natural burial are used to fund landscaping, restoration programs and other positive environmental outcomes at the site and other environmentally significant locations. “There is already an existing Bush Forever site at the Old Goolwa Cemetery. “This proposal will not disturb any of the existing historical burials on the site and there will be a vegetated buffer zone between the restoration burial ground and the historical burial ground to ensure no disturbance. “This is a unique idea and Council Members are keen for the Natural Burial Ground Trust of Australia and the Nature Foundation to look at other sites in our region.”

 For further information visit  Alexandrina Council Website  Media Releases | Alexandrina Council

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