Alice Springs Town Council adopts latest 2025/26 budget at June council meeting

With no formal opposition, one NT council has voted to raise rates 4.7 per cent as the draft budget is adopted. Find out more.

Alice Springs Town Council meetings are held once month in council chambers, Alice Springs. Picture: Gera Kazakov

Red Centre residents are set to be slugged with a rate rise – and no one in the community appeared to oppose – as questions are taken on notice around one council’s engagement with it’s ratepayers.

The Alice Springs Town Council voted to adopt the 2025/26 budget at the Tuesday ordinary council meeting, where it was revealed council received no feedback from the community around the draft proposal.

Alice Springs Town Council deputy mayor Mark Coffey. Picture: Emma Murray

Ahead of the budget passing unanimously, deputy mayor Mark Coffey questioned whether the lack of feedback meant “people were happy with they see” or “alternatively it could be that they’re not engaging with it, they’re not reading it”.

“We didn’t have any formal feedback, do we know how many people actually go online and read the draft?” he asked

Council chief executive Andrew Wilsmore responded and told Mr Coffey council will be able to get him the website figures at a later time, taking his question on notice.

The draft budget was released by council on May 1, with community consultation on the draft closing May 29.

“No formal correspondence from residents or the community was received” during the consultation period, the officer’s report states.

The budget was reviewed by the Territory government Department of Housing, Local Government and Community Development so council was able to meet its legislative requirements, the officer’s report states.

“The version of the Municipal Plan presented in this report has been updated in line with this feedback,” the report said.

Alice Springs Town Council chambers. Picture: Alex Treacy

Earlier in the discussion, Mr Wilsmore said the new budget will come into effect on July 1.

The newest budget outlined a number of investments the council was making within the community, as well as a 4.7 per cent rate rise for Alice Springs residents.

Speaking at the council meeting, council Mayor Matt Paterson said he thought this budget is “the biggest year we’ve ever had infrastructure wise”.

The council has set aside $5.3 million for the new skatepark and regional play space at Newland Park in Gillen, and $750,000 towards a new library for the community once Tourism Central Australia takes over the existing space.

The CLP government has previously committed $27 million towards infrastructure projects in Alice Springs, putting $14.96m towards a new library in the town.

Other investments include $11.5m towards the CBD regeneration project, and $600,000 towards a CBD footpath resealing project.

More money is going towards the animal shelter, according to the plan, while council is also setting aside $80,000 for new trees in town, Mr Paterson said.

“And obviously the sexy stuff … the compacted crusher and shredder going in at the regional waste management facility. I think that’s pretty exciting as well,” Mr Paterson said.