Engagement has now closed.

We are currently preparing the engagement feedback report the will be provided to council for their consideration.

Background

The draft Annual Business Plan and Budget 2025–26 (ABP) is now open for community feedback.

For the second consecutive year, we have delivered an operating surplus— demonstrating our commitment to long-term financial sustainability and limiting the financial burden on ratepayers.

The draft plan proposes a general rate increase of 2.49 per cent—below the December 2024 CPI for Adelaide. This figure will be updated in line with the March 2025 CPI prior to budget adoption.

Key priorities of the $245.05 million draft plan include:

  • Six major road renewal projects ($8.4 million)
  • Continued refurbishment of the Hopgood Theatre and Noarlunga Aquatic Centre
  • Coastal protection works, including the Christies Beach seawall and Port Noarlunga jetty upgrades
  • Completion of the final stage of the Witton Bluff Base Trail

The projects and services outlined in the draft plan aligns with the Community Vision 2034 and your feedback helps shape the final plan.

Last year, community told us it was unclear to them how rates are calculated, what ‘growth’ means for rates, and whether council gains from house price increases. In response, we’ve developed some fact sheets we hope make things clearer. Read the draft plan, snapshot and fact sheets below and then provide your input.

  • Draft ABP full document

    View the full Annual Business Plan and Budget 2025-26

    Click to view 

  • Draft ABP Snapshot

    View a snapshot of the draft Annual Business Plan and Budget 2025-26

    Click to view 

  • Fact sheets

    Our fact sheets will help you understand more about rates, how they are calculated and spent and much more.

    Click to view 

Frequently asked questions

Council carefully considered a range of factors, including:

  • what services and programs we need to provide to ensure we achieve the broader goals outlined in our Community Vision 2034, which were identified in close consultation with our community.
  • how our actions this year will support our Long-Term Financial Plan, which ensures we operate fairly, responsibly and sustainably now and into the future.
  • considered feedback from the community engagement process for the draft 2024-25 Annual Business Plan.
  • our known and anticipated costs, risks and opportunities.
The City of Onkaparinga has seen a growth in new properties across all of our different land use categories. New properties have increased by a total of 0.87% across the city, including a 5.13% increase in commercial land use categories, 0.96% increase in industrial, 1.48% increase in primary production and 18.04% increase in vacant land. Additional rates will be received from these properties helping to fund the overall budget and the services required for a growing population.

The draft Annual Business plan is based on the December 2024 CPI figure for Adelaide.

The budget will be reviewed to reflect the CPI figure for the 12 months to March 2025 for Adelaide once this is available at the end of April prior to the final budget presented to Council for adoption.

We recognise that some ratepayers are experiencing ongoing financial hardship and can assist by providing a range of options to manage payment of rates that are outstanding or will soon become overdue.

In the first instance please contact our Customer Relations team on 8384 0666 to discuss the options that may best suit your circumstances.

To make an application for hardship, contact an accredited financial counsellor to assist with this process.

To find a local financial counsellor, please phone the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007 or visit ndh.org.au/talk-to-a-financial-counsellor.

The financial counsellor will then contact us, either with you or on your behalf to progress your application. All details supplied are confidential.

Postponed rates remain as a charge on the land and are not required to be repaid until the property is sold or disposed of. Monthly interest charges apply to amounts postponed.

There are many ways to provide feedback.

You can simply complete the online form on this page, or submit your feedback via any of the methods outlined below:

Engagement is open until Sunday 11 May 2025.