Planning for the short & long term future

THE City of Mount Gambier has released its Draft 2026/2027 Annual Business Plan and Budget, along with the Draft Long Term Financial Plan (LTFP) 2027 – 2036, for community consultation.

Together, the documents outline Council’s service delivery priorities, key projects and financial framework for the year ahead while ensuring our long term financial strategies support our city growth and enable the city to be fit for the future.

The Draft 2026/2027 Annual Business Plan and Budget proposes restrained expenditure across operational services and capital works and continues Council’s strong focus on asset renewal, prudent financial management and intergenerational equity.

City of Mount Gambier Mayor Lynette Martin said the draft plans demonstrate careful planning during a challenging economic environment.

“These documents show how Council is balancing day to day service delivery with planning for the future, especially as rising costs beyond our control continue to have an impact,” Mayor Martin said.

“We’re seeing increases in fuel, materials and construction costs flowing through to the services and projects we deliver, so our focus is on maintaining what the community relies on while continuing to invest in Mount Gambier and ensuring the city is fit for the future.”

The Draft 2026/2027 Annual Business Plan and Budget is aligned with Council’s Strategic Plan 2024 – 2028. It has been developed with reference to Council’s Mount Gambier 2035 Community Vision, Long Term Financial Plan and Asset Management Plans.

City of Mount Gambier CEO Paul Simpson said the release of both documents together provides transparency and confidence in Council’s long term direction.

“The Annual Business Plan and Budget outlines how we propose to deliver services and projects in the coming year, while the Long Term Financial Plan demonstrates how those decisions fit within a sustainable 10-year financial framework,” Mr Simpson said.

“The Draft Long Term Financial Plan presents some very positive outcomes, including strong financial sustainability, improved resilience and greater rating stability.”

The Draft Long Term Financial Plan 2027 – 2036 outlines Council’s financial strategy over the next ten years and demonstrates that Council is forecast to continue meeting all key financial sustainability indicators, including the Operating Surplus Ratio, Net Financial Liabilities Ratio and Asset Renewal Funding Ratio.

A key highlight of the Draft Long Term Financial Plan is a projected average general rate revenue increase of 3.6 percent per year (excluding growth), across the life of the plan. This reflects improved financial planning, stronger cost controls and a focus on long term stability and predictability for ratepayers.

“This provides greater certainty for households and businesses. It also enables Council to continue investing in infrastructure renewal, essential services and projects that support the future growth. The City of Mount Gambier is growing at a good pace, this can’t be ignored, we simply must invest in the services and projects that support this growth,” Mr Simpson said.

The Long Term Financial Plan also outlines a responsible approach to borrowing, allowing short term use of debt to support capital delivery while maintaining net financial liabilities within target levels and reducing debt over time.

The plan includes increasing investment in fit for future capital projects, enabling Council to deliver outcomes from major master planning work and support Mount Gambier’s continued role as a leading world class regional city.

Key strategic priorities for 2026/2027

The Draft Annual Business Plan and Budget includes strategic initiatives focused on environmental stewardship, cultural leadership, liveability and organisational capability, including:

Crater Lakes Precinct Cultural Heritage Management Plan to embed Traditional Owner knowledge and best practice land management.Waste and Resource Recovery Programs to enhance our circular economy.Greater Mount Gambier Master Plan in partnership with the District Council of Grant and the Department for Housing and Urban Development.Development of a Play Space Implementation Plan to guide inclusive, age diverse play spaces.Riddoch Arts and Cultural Centre Strategic Action Plan.Arts and Live Music Development, including hosting the 2026 Regional and Remote Music Summit.Business systems and digital improvements to enhance efficiency and customer experience.Workforce Planning Framework to support future growth and service delivery.Development of Council’s next Reconciliation Action Plan with the Yerkalalpata Community Reference Group.Community Engagement Framework update aligned with legislative reform.Grant Attraction Strategy to improve Council’s ability to secure additional external funding.Indicative capital works proposed for 2026/2027 include:

Landfill leachate storage expansion and waste infrastructure upgrades.Shared path network delivery, including O’Leary Road to Wireless Road West.Play space development and delivery of one new or upgraded play space.Railway Lands Precinct reactivation – progressive capital improvements to activate the precinct.City wide wayfinding and signage infrastructure.Infrastructure renewal across roads, drainage, buildings and public assets.Master planning will continue for the Central Business District (CBD), Umpherston Sinkhole/Balumbul and Vansittart Park to position Council for future capital delivery and enable grant attraction.

“The reality of seeking Grants from other government programs, is that you simply must provide detailed plans and costings that support your application, we wouldn’t get past the first step of grant applications without these foundational master planning projects,” Mr Simpson said.

Rates revenue accounts for approximately 63 per cent of Council’s total income.

For 2026/2027, the draft budget proposes a general rate revenue increase of 5.9 per cent, excluding growth. Council also requires a once off 0.5 per cent to cover State Government cost shifting for the 2026 Local Government Elections. Council plans to raise $28.88 million from general rates, with the city’s average residential rate remaining below the rural and metropolitan average for South Australia.

The Waste Service Charge is proposed to increase from $344.00 to $390.00 per applicable service, reflecting inflationary pressures and cost recovery.

Have Your Say Community consultation on the Draft 2026/2027 Annual Business Plan and Budget and the Draft Long Term Financial Plan 2027 – 2036 will open from Thursday 21 May to Thursday 1100 June 2026.

The draft documents will be available at Have Your Say Mount Gambier and in person at the Mount Gambier Library and Civic Centre.

Budget information sessions will be held at the Mount Gambier Library on Tuesday 2 June 2026 at 6:00pm and Wednesday 3 June 2026 at 12:00pm.

A Special Council Meeting will be held Tuesday 16 June 2026 at 5:00pm to receive verbal submissions. Submissions to speak at the Special Council Meeting must be lodged by Thursday 11 June 2026 via Have Your Say Mount Gambier.

Special Council Meetings to adopt the final documents will be held on either Tuesday 23 June 2026 or Tuesday 30 June 2026.