Council adopts 2025-26 budget
Published on 07 July 2025
Council approved its 2025-26 Annual Business Plan, Budget and Long-Term Financial Plan on 1 July 2025.
Councils are answerable to their local communities when it comes to budgeting and spending and, as such, it’s imperative that they have a sustainable financial position to ensure that communities can be provided for in the future. Our organisational continuous improvement program enables us to identify savings opportunities and achieve ongoing efficiency in our service delivery.
Like any household budget, a council budget must forecast what is needed for the future and prioritise how those needs will be funded long-term. We are mindful of the current cost of living challenges for our community and these also affect our own operations as the cost of doing business has increased.
To help us continue providing services and amenities for our growing city, from roads and footpaths, to library, sports and recreation and arts programs, requires an increase in rates of 6.84%.
In West Torrens, our council manages more than $1 billion worth of community assets including:
- 84 playgrounds and outdoor fitness sites
- 296 kilometres of roads
- 176 hectares of open space
- 108 public buildings
- 168 kilometres of stormwater infrastructure
- 581 kilometres of footpaths
- 7 community facilities
- 2 library facilities (building and mobile).
In addition to this we provide a range of necessary services, such as waste and recycling collections, animal management, community safety, health, aged and youth services and community grants.
Council rates are a property tax and the money that you spend stays in the West Torrens area. While you may not use all the services or amenities we provide, these all help make your neighbourhood a better place to live and improve our lifestyle.
You can read the document online
To find out more about council rates, read the 'Myth vs fact' information provided by the Local Government Association, SA.