Alexandrina Council would like to thank the community for their participation in the public consultation process for our Annual Community Plan and Long Term Financial Plan.

The Annual Community Plan 2025/26, Annual Community Plan 2025-26 Summary Brochure and Long Term Financial Plan 2025-35 were adopted at a Special Council Meeting held on Monday 7 July 2025.

All three documents are available on Council's website at alexandrina.sa.gov.au/budget

We were excited to introduce the Draft Annual Community Plan 2025/26 (ACP), with a refreshed name to reflect our renewed commitment to aligning our plans with the needs of the people who call this community home.

For the 2025 consultation, we hosted four public meetings where we gave community the have the chance to explore our Draft Annual Community Plan 2025/26 and the updated Draft Long Term Financial Plan 2025–2035. These plans were shaped with one key focus—ensuring financial stability while continuing to support our growing community.

From late 2024, Council worked hard to strengthen our financial position, cutting unnecessary costs while keeping essential services intact. Our revised financial strategy aimed to ease cost-of-living pressures by responsibly managing resources for long-term sustainability.

Here's what we were aiming to achieve with the Plans:

• Reduce the financial sustainability factor from 11% to 3.4% within four years—without affecting existing services or delaying crucial asset renewals.
• Return to a budget surplus by 2027/28, with strong ongoing surpluses projected beyond that.
• Lower borrowings to $6.7 million by 2035.

We committed to prudent financial management in 2025/26, ensuring we provide for our growing community while maintaining a responsible approach to spending. The proposed rate increase of 3.05% included the March Adelaide CPI of 2.2% plus an additional 0.85% to support financial sustainability.

Despite keeping spending in check, the Plans continue to invest in key community projects across the Alexandrina Council area. These projects were carefully selected to ensure they bring real value to residents while staying within budget.

Importantly, the latest updates to our financial plans address concerns raised by the Essential Services Commission of South Australia (ESCOSA) in its recent financial sustainability report.

We invited community members to review the draft plans, share thoughts, and be part of the journey towards a stronger financial future.