Berri Barmera budget released for community consultation

BERRI Barmera residential property owners could see the rates calculated on their property valuations rise by up to 1.5 per cent under the local council’s new draft budget.
At a special meeting held last Tuesday night, Berri Barmera Council elected members adopted the draft budget and annual business plan for release for community consultation.
As reported in the Murray Pioneer last week, council has proposed a freeze on the rate in the dollar for all property types and will cap rate rises cause by valuation increases at 1.5 per cent for residential properties and 12 per cent for all other property types.
Almost 3500 residential properties – more than a quarter of all residences in the district – will be hit with the maximum 1.5 per cent rate rise, after valuations increased by about 6 per cent district-wide.
Council is also proposing a 3.5 per cent rise to the community wastewater management charge, which will rise from $734.50 to $760 for each occupied property and from $700 to $724.50 for each vacant property.
The charge is used to recover the operating cost of the wastewater management service, budgeted to be $3.199 million in 2021-22.
Council’s waste management service charge will also rise 2.5 per cent from $193 to 198 for two-bin collection and from $228 to $234 for three-bin collection.
The regional landscape levy will be reduced slightly from 0.0237 cents in the dollar to 0.0228 cents.
The average resident with a property value of $200,000 in 2020-21 will see their property value rise to almost $212,000 and their rates increase by 1.5 per cent to about $1293 in 2021-22.
Overall in the 2021-22 financial year, council will collect an additional $315,000 in general rates on the previous year.
Council has also listed more than $7.8 million in capital projects for the upcoming financial year, including asset renewals and projects funded by the State and Federal Governments.
These projects include a $1.2 million grant-funded project to build new multi-sport changerooms and improve lighting at the Barmera Oval, $536,479 for the ongoing Lake Bonney Caring for Country Management Plan, $310,000 – part grant-funded – for improvements to the Berri Stadium and $50,000 to complete the Berri river-front retrofit.
The council is projecting an operating surplus of $87,151 for the 2021-22 financial year.
To view the annual business plan and budget, plus council’s long-term financial plan, in full, visit council’s website (www.berribarmera.sa.gov.au) or collect a hard copy at the council’s principal office in Berri.
The council will accept written submissions from the community via email (bbc@bbc.sa.gov.au), the council website, in-person at the council office, and post.
Submissions must be received by Wednesday, June 23, at 5pm.
For further inquiries, call council CEO Karyn Burton on 8582 1922.