Annual Budget delivers cost effective services to the community and improves City’s financial position
At the City of South Perth’s Ordinary Council Meeting on Tuesday 27 June 2023, Council endorsed the 2023/24 Annual Budget, with a rate revenue increase of 5 per cent; below the prevailing Perth CPI of 5.8 per cent and National CPI of 7 per cent. This marks the fifth consecutive budget where the City’s rates movements have either been equal to or below Perth CPI, despite the impact of inflation and high interest rates.
This year’s Budget focuses on improving the City’s financial position at a time when economic uncertainty remains high. Council carefully considered this Budget to ensure it delivers value for money to the community whilst allocating funding for its core services. The Budget includes waste and recycling collections, the provision of community facilities and services such as libraries, health, building and planning control as well as the maintenance of roads, paths, foreshore areas and parks, that the City’s more than 46,000 residents rely on.
Mayor Greg Milner said Council had worked hard to deliver a prudent budget that responsibly funded the diverse range of quality services and infrastructure that the community relies upon, both now and into the future.
“As we all feel the rising cost of living, conversations about money are happening everywhere. Families, businesses and organisations of all sizes are looking for ways to best manage their finances. Council had similar conversations when considering the 2023/24 Budget.
“This Budget ensures the City is well placed to secure long-term financial sustainability, which is especially important at a time when economic uncertainty remains high.
“Like our ratepayers, the City has faced increasing costs such as electricity, fuel, construction costs and building materials, as we seek to provide the fundamental services and amenity our community expects from us. It now costs more to deliver the same level of service to our community.
“We have worked hard to make certain every item in this Budget delivers true value to our ratepayers. We will responsibly build upon, maintain and renew our ageing assets to ensure they can be enjoyed by future generations. Essential upgrades will be made to roads and footpaths to keep them safe.
“In the last few years, the City has increased its efforts to secure external funding for various projects, to deliver more for our community whilst reducing the burden on ratepayers. The City continues to advocate on behalf of our community for local projects, and I am particularly pleased that a significant number of the capital works projects in this Budget will be partly or fully funded by external grants. This is a credit to the City’s sterling work in advocating for our district.
“As your Mayor, I am confident this Budget delivers the responsible financial management you expect from your local government, whilst focusing on what is most important to our community.
"I am proud to present the 2023/24 Annual Budget and will continue to work towards our community’s vision of a City of active places and beautiful spaces.”
How your rates contribute to our community
In 2023/24, rates remain the City’s most significant source of the City’s operating revenue.
The City invests this revenue in our community with renewed and new infrastructure and facilities as well as upgrades and improvements to existing infrastructure such as parks, roads, paths, drainage and river walls.
Additionally, the City provides a range of services for our community including libraries; weekly and fortnightly recycling services; verge side collections; community events; parks, playgrounds and sporting facilities; community facilities; George Burnett Leisure Centre; senior citizens centres; and community safety initiatives.
Budget highlights
The City’s Budget provides investment in infrastructure including:
$5.1m to maintain and renew roads and pathways
$900k to renew and refurbish foreshore and natural areas assets
$870k to create and upgrade public toilets and changerooms
$640k to upgrade playgrounds: Swanview playground in South Perth, Bill Grayden playground in Como, Bill McGrath playground in Kensington and Como Beach swings.
$600k to undertake drainage improvements to mitigate floods at the intersection of Ley St and Downey St in Manning
$450k to construct an 800m long shared path between Goss Ave and Gillon St, Manning (these works are part of the City’s Canning Bridge to Curtin University Bike Link project and are partly funded by the Western Australian Bicycle Network)
$500k to create a pump track at George Burnett Park, Karawara (project is subject to external grant funding)
$375k to replace 3km of damaged footpath slabs
$310k to upgrade lighting along footpaths at Karawara Greenways and South Perth Foreshore
$143k to upgrade CCTV infrastructure
$80k to refurbish the Animal Care Facility
$50k to conduct a solar lighting trial.
City of South Perth rates movements
| 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | Cumulative | |
| City of South Perth rates movements | 1.0% | -1.0% | 1.0% | 4.5% | 5.0% | 10.5% |
| Perth CPI as at Budget decision | 1.0% | 2.1% | 1.0% | 7.6% | 5.8% | 17.5% |
| National CPI as at Budget decision | 1.3% | 2.2% | 1.1% | 5.1% | 7.0% | 16.7% |
