Alice Springs council adopts draft budget, featuring infrastructure investments, a rate rise, and more
The Alice Springs town council has released its draft budget, and the mayor has broken down the big talking points. Find out more.
News
Don't miss out on the headlines from News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
This year’s draft budget for Alice Springs is bringing more money to the animal shelter, more money for infrastructure upgrades, and a rate increase for punters living within the town.
The Alice Springs Town Council has released the draft 2025/26 budget for public consultation.
Council Mayor Matt Paterson said this year’s “big ticket” items include “one of the biggest spends” on capital infrastructure projects and more.
“There’s an additional 165,000 going to the animal shelter to make that $305,000 commitment this financial year,” he said.
Last year, the Alice Springs Animal Shelter entered voluntary administration, with the council taking over the shelter.
Mr Paterson said the council wants to commit $30 million to infrastructure projects around the town, with nine additional parks and garden staff also set to join the books.
“We acknowledge that the verges need to be addressed, the river needs to be addressed,” he said.
Mr Paterson said council needed to work on an new MOU with NT Corrections so “we can have the corrections out mowing lawns and with whipper snipping” the verges.
Rates are also set to rise 4.7 per cent, a move Mr Paterson said is in line with the council’s long term financial plan and was also predicted last year.
“Obviously if that figure goes down, then there’ll be services that I’ve just mentioned that will be cut,” he said.
With Tourism Central Australia set to take over the existing library space in the council building, the council budget also features $750,000 towards finding a temporary home for the library.
Late last year, the CLP government put $27 million towards new infrastructure projects in Alice Springs, including a new library for the town.
Council is still working on developing plans for the location of the new library.
Mr Paterson also said council was putting $5.3 million towards the Newland park skate and play precinct, which will he said is still tracking to be finished “this side of Christmas”.
The draft budget was adopted at the ordinary council meeting on Tuesday.
The councillors voted to adopt the draft budget during the confidential section of the meeting, which was closed to the public.
Mr Paterson said the budget is now open to public consultation, which will end May 29.
Afterwards, the full budget will adopted at an ordinary council meeting, Mr Paterson said.
Originally published as Alice Springs council adopts draft budget, featuring infrastructure investments, a rate rise, and more
More than $500 million for Corrections in NT budget
The Northern Territory budget will allocate more than half a billion dollars towards corrections, as the government works to keep pace with its tough law and order reforms.
NT politician hints at plan to escape packed backbench
A Territory MP who has spent nine years in opposition and on the back bench has set his sights at an assistant ministerial roles. See what roles Luke Gosling is hoping to snap up in the expected reshuffle.