Budget

Review of council budgets is important to ensure the council provides value for money to rate payers.
Community consultation for the next financial year typically occurs in May. SPRA welcomes feedback on the budget.

Budget 2024-2025 Response

SPRA have significant concerns about the rise in rate revenue and debt position of the council. SPRA would prefer to see council spending cut or deferred rather than rate rises at more than double the rate of inflation.

In our response to the draft of the 2023-2024 budget, SPRA noted concerns about the Payneham Memorial Swimming Pool and the significant increase in council debt represented by the Net Financial Liabilities Ratio (NFLR). Twelve months later the budget of the Payneham Memorial Swimming Pool has tripled to $60 million with the potential to increase further. The NFLR has increased from the previous peak of 117% to 162% and will still be above 130% in 2034.

Budget Submission by Peter Fairlie-Jones

Peter Fairlie-Jones has permitted SPRA to reproduce his budget consultation submission. He currently serves on the Audit Committees of 5 Councils and has this to say about the budget:

I remain very concerned not only about the proposed future rate increases and high debt levels, but also the resulting long term constraints on Council’s ability to respond to other community priorities and its capacity to respond to adverse events without even further pressure on rates and debt levels.

Payneham Memorial Swimming Centre - Deputation to Council

This deputation is made as a result of the decision made by Council in December 2023 to proceed with the Payneham Memorial Swimming Centre in spite of the cost being three times what was expected in 2022, and the effect this will have on the future Council finances.

In 2022 & earlier the pool cost was expected to be about $20m.

In the 2023/4 budget a figure of $24m was used although it was expected that tenders would be in the order of $30m.

We spoke to this when we addressed Council prior to last year’s budget.

The $60m cost is double that of the similar facilities currently being built at Salisbury.

Payneham pool redevelopment bill springboards to $60 million

On the 20 March 2024, David Simmons broke the news that the estimated cost to redevelop the Payneham Memorial Swimming Centre has blown out from $20 million to $60 million.

Revealed today by InDaily, the Payneham Memorial Swimming Centre is now estimated to cost $60 million – up from $20 million originally announced in 2021.