Last year, as part of the consultation on its Annual Business Plan & Budget and Long Term Financial Plan, Council proposed changes to the financing of Council’s Community Wastewater Management Systems (CWMS) schemes and the associated Annual Service Fee and capital contributions required for future works based on recommendations by the Essential Services Commission of SA (ESCOSA).
Following feedback received through the consultation process, the proposed changes were not introduced in 2025/26, with Council resolving to review the CWMS Annual Service Fee for 2026/27 and an annual capital charge based on an annuity cost for each scheme as a large number of schemes are entering mid-life and require material amounts of capital expenditure to be undertaken across the next 10 years.
Modelling has now been undertaken to incorporate a capital renewal annuity cost into the 2026/27 CWMS Annual Service Fee to fund the future capital renewal requirements of each individual scheme.
The proposed new model has been developed with the objective of complying with the Essential Services Commission of South Australia’s pricing principles to achieve full cost recovery of operating expenses and raise sufficient funds for future capital expenditure to ensure the schemes are financially sustainable in the long-term.
Due to the combination of now recovering all operating costs and also calculating a capital charge, the modelling has indicated that the majority of the schemes will incur a significant annual fee increase.
As a result, Council has considered the potential financial impact on property owners of the proposed changes, and is proposing that any increase to the CWMS Annual Service Fee will be phased in over five (5) years, with any annual increase to be capped at $250.
Overall, if the new methodology is implemented, this will result in an average increase of $190 per connection in 2026/27, being the first of five years of phased increases.
Written submissions are invited on the proposed new methodology for calculating CWMS charges for 2026/27 and can be provided through the following means:
- Mid Murray Your Say feedback form;
- Letter addressed to the Chief Executive Officer, Mid Murray Council, PO Box 28, Mannum SA 5238; or
- Email postbox@mid-murray.sa.gov.au
Submissions will be received until 12:00 pm Monday 1 June 2026
