Annual Business Plan and Budget finalised!

Thank you to everyone who gave feedback on our draft Annual Business Plan and Budget for 2025–2026. Your input was shared with Council at the General Meeting on 27 May 2025. You can read the feedback and our response in the Council Agenda (Attachment 12.4.5, pages 390–477).

We are excited to let you know that our Annual Business Plan (ABP) for 2025-2026 is out now! 👏

Your feedback and new information helped to shape our Final Plans that Council endorsed at the 24 June 2025 General Meeting. Here’s a few changes we made:

• An extra $1.165 million will be spent on footpath and verge improvements

• Streetscape funds reduced by $200,000 in 2025–2026 and $1 million in 2028–2029

• $392,700 of grant funding was secured from the South Australian Government to help us deliver Cove Netball court upgrades

• Commercial rates will now apply to certain short-term rental properties based on defined eligibility criteria

• Strategic Funding Reviews enabled Council to distribute costs more effectively across a 10-year period

Importantly, the final changes aim to strengthen our long-term financial sustainability while delivering targeted improvements to community infrastructure.

We look forward to delivering our 2025-2026 services and projects and bringing us closer to achieving our Community Vision for ‘A liveable, sustainable community’.

Want to find out more?

View the ABP Summary

Every year we develop a new Annual Business Plan and update our Long-Term Financial Plan. These plans are developed taking into account Marion's strategic directions, Four Year Business Plan and feedback from community throughout the year.

The Draft Annual Business Plan and Budget 2025-2026 is now open for community feedback.

The Draft Plan shows how Council proposes to manage its annual $116 million budget to deliver quality services while managing and maintaining a large and diverse asset portfolio valued at over one billion dollars across the council area.

Additionally, Council proposes to invest $35m in capital works including community and sporting facilities, playgrounds, and capital work programs including stormwater upgrades, footpaths, and road upgrades. This total proposed spend is made up of $16.4m for the renewal of assets and $18.6m for new and upgraded assets.

In developing the Draft Annual Business Plan 2025-26 and Council's Long term Financial Plan we have been mindful of challenging market conditions with increasing construction costs and other factors such as wage rises. Significant work has gone into determining a responsible rate increase that balances community impact with the need to maintain service levels. Investment in key infrastructure, alongside the ongoing capital renewal program, has also been factored in to support the City’s long-term financial sustainability.

The Draft plan proposes a 4.8% average rate increase in 2025-2026 to support ongoing services and capital project delivery. For the average residential property, this equates to an estimated $91 per year, or about $1.75 per week.

Council is keeping rates as low as possible whilst delivering necessary projects that will deliver much-needed upgrades to community facilities and improve the environmental sustainability of our community.

Now is your opportunity to have your say and share your thoughts.

Community consultation closes on Friday 16 May at 11:59pm.