Council has maintained its plan to increase general rates by 2.25 per cent.

This aligned with the cap set by the state government’s Fair Go Rates System.

The budget will also see kerbside waste and recycling collection charges increase by $21, to reflect the rising costs of waste management and global recycling challenges.

Council chief executive officer Greg Wood said council only received one submission on its draft Budget.

“We added a couple of recommendations at the ended which aligned with what the submission was asking for, including $10,000 towards the beautification of the riverfront at Jeparit,” he said.

“We didn’t receive any submissions from farmers; they receive a 10 per cent discount on farm rates.

“It’s not the same kind of issue here like it is in other shires.

“We did a lot of community consultation prior to the draft being released, so the community seem to be very happy with how council has dealt with this Budget.”

Related:  Hindmarsh Shire Council 2018-19 budget proposes smaller rates increase than previous year

Council mayor Ron Ismay said he thought the Budget was fair.

“I’m more than happy with the final result,” he said.

“The staff have gone above and beyond, and have done an outstanding job.

“Not everyone may think it’s a great Budget, but I think we’ve been fair and have spread things around, but rates have to come from somewhere.”

He said farm land owners hadn’t been as vocal about their concerns in Hindmarsh compared to other shires.

“We’re hoping that from now on, valuations will happen more often,” he said.

“With land values increasing an average of 10 per cent a year, it’s constantly changing.”