Information

We’re Investing in the City of Adelaide!

Every year Council develops a Business Plan and Budget. It describes the priorities, programs, services and projects that we plan to deliver and our proposed budget for the year, including the rates being proposed, fees and charges, borrowings and grants.

On the 28 April 2026 Council approved the Draft 2026/27 Business Plan and Budget for community consultation. This is the last Business Plan and Budget for this term of Council in the lead up to Local Government Elections in November 2026 and the third to deliver on the 2024-2028 Strategic Plan.

Key highlights of the draft 2026/27 Business Plan and Budget include

Why we plan and budget

The City of Adelaide is home to almost 30,000 residents and has more than 350,000 people come into the City and North Adelaide every day, such as workers, students, visitors and business owners. Our plan and our budget for the next year focuses on what our Council is doing for everyone in our community and as such we seek your feedback on what that could look like.

With all councils, we are required under the Local Government Act 1999 (SA) (the Act), to prepare an annual Business Plan and Budget and seek feedback on the draft document. We call this the “Draft 2026/27 Business Plan and Budget” – simply, our plan and our budget.

For the City of Adelaide, Draft 2026/27 Business Plan and Budget outlines the projects, services and priorities for the upcoming financial year, and how they will be funded. We have built it in a way, so you can clearly see what we plan to deliver and how we intend to fund it.

View the Draft 2026/27 Business Plan and Budget

Background

At its 28 April 2026 meeting, Council endorsed the Draft 2026/27 Business Plan and Budget for community consultation. 

Under the Local Government Act 1999 (SA) (the Act), the City of Adelaide is required to prepare an annual Business Plan and Budget. The Business Plan and Budget outlines the projects, services, and priorities for the upcoming financial year, and how they will be funded. It ensures transparency and accountability, helping our community understand what we plan to deliver and how we intend to fund it.  

FAQs

To support the delivery of our proposed plan in 2026/27, our budget includes a proposal for a 5.6% rate increase (see pages 74 and 77 for an explanation). This equates to an increase of $127 ($2.44 per week) for an average residential property, and an increase of $606 ($11.65 per week) for an average commercial property. The minimum rate has been increased by $15 ($415 for 2026/27).

Our approach to planning for 2026/27 was based on the financial principles and forecast in the 2025/26 to 2034/35 Long Term Financial Plan, and feedback from Council Members through a series of briefings, workshops and reports. Further considerations included:

  • Prioritising actions to deliver Year 3 of the Strategic Plan 2024-2028
  • Asset and Strategic Planning from Asset Management Plans and other adopted Strategies and Plans
  • Insights from the community through surveys and feedback from regular engagements
  • Consideration of the challenges and opportunities arising from our operational and the economic environment

When you participate in this engagement, you will receive a written response (email where possible) to confirm we have received it.

This feedback is then collated and provided directly to Council Members to review and consider as part of the adoption of the final 2026/27 Business Plan and Budget, in June 2026.

Where feedback has your personal details (such as a name and suburb), this may be made available to the public through a report to Council Members on the community engagement feedback. If you do now wish for this to be public, you can choose not to provide these details or advise that you do not want them to be included.

Document Library

Read the Draft 2026/27 Business Plan and Budget here:

Timeline

  • Timeline item 1 - complete

    Community Consultation - Opened

    Tuesday 5 May 2026

  • Timeline item 2 - complete

    Community Drop-In Session - Meander Market on Melbourne Street

    Saturday 9 May: 10.00am – 3.00pm

    Corner of Melbourne Street and Jerningham Street, North Adelaide

  • Timeline item 3 - complete

    Community Drop-In Session - Hutt Street Library

    Tuesday 12 May: 10:00am – 12:00pm

  • Timeline item 4 - complete

    Community Drop-In Session - Adelaide Central Market

    Friday 15 May: 12:00pm – 2:00pm

    Adelaide Central Market

    Gouger Dining area - 44/60 Gouger Street, Adelaide

  • Timeline item 5 - complete

    Community Drop-In Session - City Library

    Wednesday 20 May: 2:00pm – 4:00pm

    Rundle Mall - 3rd Floor Rundle Place

  • Timeline item 6 - complete

    Public Meeting

    Tuesday 26 May 2025: 5:30 – 6:30pm

    Adelaide Town Hall, 128 King William Street, Adelaide

  • Timeline item 7 - complete

    Community Consultation Closed

    11:59pm, Tuesday, 26 May 2026

Contact us

Have questions or want to learn more about the draft 2025/26 Business Plan & budget, contact:
Michael Terizakis
Coordinator, Corporate Planning

Phone: (08) 8203 7174

Email: BusinessPlan@cityofadelaide.com.au