28 September 2020
Rural Road Expenditure
Every year the Naracoorte Lucindale Council makes decisions about how to allocate ratepayer funds to the range of services provided - such as roads, footpaths and kerbing, parks and gardens, library and community services, tourism and supporting local events.
There are often competing needs and priorities.
At times a section of the community may believe it is paying more than its fair share of rates for the services received. For example, funds received from rural ratepayers compared to rural road expenditure.
Here are a few facts about how rates are allocated:
Fact 1 - 54.8% is the five-year average spend on rural roads as a percentage of gross Council income (rates). This indicates that rates raised from rural areas is largely expended in rural areas.
Fact 2 - 95.8% is the five-year average of rate revenue (generated outside of the Naracoorte Township) spent on rural roads. The chart below shows the five-year summary of rural revenue compared to direct spend on rural roads. This only includes directs costs attributable to roads, and there are other areas of expenditure in rural areas and small townships which will make the rural spend percentage higher than the 95.8% average.
Fact 3 - We are ONE community, and over time there will most likely be periods where expenditure is higher in one area than another, and this should be balanced over time as we collectively seek to provide good services and infrastructure for the whole of the Council area.
Every year from April to June, Council invites the community to have input on the Budget and Annual Business Plan. This is your opportunity to tell us your priorities for the Council area. A copy of this year’s Budget and Annual Business Plan is available on Council’s website www.naracoortelucindale.sa.gov.au
