Local government rates oversight scheme

31 Mar 2022

icon

The South Australian Government is introducing a local government rates oversight scheme through amendments to the Local Government Act 1999, which will come into operation on 30 April 2022. Under the scheme, the Commission will provide to each of the State’s 68 local councils (under a Schedule on a four-yearly rotational basis) advice on the appropriateness of both their long-term financial, infrastructure and asset management plans, and the proposed financial contributions by the council’s ratepayers under those plans.

The scheme is intended to benefit ratepayers through increased transparency over council rates, greater confidence that the rates they pay are at the level necessary for their council to provide the services they value and that council operations are being undertaken on a long-term financially sustainable basis. 

The Commission is now consulting on the Framework and Approach for the implementation of the scheme, seeking comment by Friday 27 May, and also has published the initial four-year Schedule and historical information requirements which will apply to councils. 

 

Read more

iconLocal government advice - draft framework and approach