Our Annual Business Plan is our roadmap for the financial year ahead. It contains our commitment to deliver great outcomes for our community and sets out our priorities and the associated costs and budget for delivery.

The document contains a summary of information we have received from our community through surveys. It outlines the external opportunities and challenges in the broader environment, and lists new major project priorities for 2022-2023. There is also detailed financial information about how we will use our funds to complete this work and ensure financial accountability.

The proposed projects and priorities are primarily based on our existing strategic management plans which have all gone through robust research and community engagement and have been endorsed by Council. We also consider all the feedback we regularly receive from engagement activities, community forums, perception surveys, the data we hold and our day-to-day contact with residents, businesses, groups, clubs, government and visitors.

The Plan funds our economic development activities which includes business advisory services, investment attraction, supporting tourism and growing the visitor economy. We work regionally with business and industry leaders and state and federal governments to attract and support investment within in our city. Our capital works program provide infrastructure to support the economy and our events and programs attract visitors into our city.

Regardless of where you live in the City of PAE, you’ll see us out and about maintaining and upgrading facilities, streets and parks. Taking care of our city is part of our core business. But this year, you will also see us delivering some major projects in local neighbourhoods like upgrades to the Dover Street Reserve (Blair Athol) and Polonia Reserve (Croydon Park) as well as improvement to clubrooms in various reserves across Council.

Our vision is to make PAE a low carbon, water sensitive and climate resilient City. Next year we will continue delivering our Living Environment Program which includes increasing tree planting in streets and reserves as well as a new program to provide residents with trees to help increase canopy cover across the city. We will invest in renewable energy sources and new technologies such as electric vehicles, solar and batteries, to reduce our carbon emissions.  For 2022-2023 we will continue to collaborate with the community to empower individuals to work with us on our climate response.

We know that management and the protection of heritage buildings is important to the community. We have many heritage assets that contribute to our local identity. We play an important part in the protection and conservation of built heritage and making heritage spaces available for everyone to enjoy. In 2022-2023 we will start implementing our new Built Heritage Strategy.

Our placemaking approach helps us to ensure strong community, economic and environmental benefits are derived from our places and spaces.This year we are planning for a major event at Port Adelaide with the first Port River Sports Festival to help us to showcase and celebrate our fantastic Port River and will implement the Port Place Development Plan. We will also continue to encourage more smaller and community event activities that lead to increased use of our wonderful outdoor spaces.

Council’s main source of income is rate revenue, representing 86% of Council’s total revenue. Other sources include government grants, reimbursements, user and statutory charges.

The Annual Business Plan 2022-23 will be based on an average rate increase for existing properties in line with movements in the Adelaide CPI for the 12 months to 31 March 2022 (due to be published on 28 April 2022). In addition, we expect the number of rateable properties in the Council area to grow by approximately 1.0%.

While the average rate increase will be in line with Adelaide CPI, it should be noted that actual rates payable by a rate payer will vary according to individual property valuations, the attributed land use, and whether there has been any new development or capital improvement on the land.

Visit our consultation webpage at haveyoursay.cityofpae.sa.gov.au to leave your thoughts about the draft business plan for next year. We want to know if you think we are focusing on the right things, and if there are things we need to do more of. You can complete the survey online, write us a letter, send us an email, or complete our postcard available from any of our offices, libraries and community centres.

You can also come to the Meeting of Council on Tuesday 10 May 2022 commencing at 7 pm at the Town Hall on 34 Nile Street, Port Adelaide where members of the public can attend as an interested observer or present a submission about the draft plan to Council. If you would like to make a representation at the meeting and speak to Council, please contact (08) 8405 6600.

Any feedback provided as part of the Annual Business Plan consultation process is collated and reported back to Council to present a clear understanding of the issues and topics that are most pertinent to residents. If we need to make an amendment to what has been proposed, this will be done by a Council decision.