Naracoorte Lucindale ratepayers will face a second consecutive 5 per cent rates increase as the council commits to its biggest-ever investment in roads, while a heated debate over a controversial $415,000 rural road upgrade exposed divisions over spending priorities.

The Naracoorte Lucindale Council adopted its 2026/27 Annual Business Plan and Budget at its May 23 meeting, endorsing $7.63 million in capital works, including $4.44 million for road reconstructions, $1.53 million for road resheeting and $800,500 for resealing projects. The capital project endorsed also includes $300,000 for the renewal of the Leicester Street playground a key project for the year.

A further $1.79 million has been allocated for road maintenance, including patrol grading and repairs.

Major road reconstruction projects include Diagonal Road ($1.55 million), Grubbed Road ($1.24 million), Moyhall Road ($1.24 million), and Mundalena Road ($415,000).

The budget also confirms a 5 per cent increase in general rate revenue for the second year running, with mayor Patrick Ross saying the increase remained consistent with council’s long-term financial plan while recognising ongoing cost-of-living pressures.

“Fuel pricing uncertainty and other cost-of-living pressures look likely to continue into the 2026/27 year and council has considered these issues in developing the plan and setting the budget for the year ahead,” he said.

“We understand the cost pressures continuing to face our community and have reviewed all of our operational budget lines to ensure we are spending only what is required to deliver services and programs captured in our plans and expected by our community.”

Mayor Ross said renewing existing infrastructure remained council’s priority.

“Our strategic and master plans guide our projects and expenditure, and these were reviewed in 2025 to ensure they can deliver a more realistic, manageable and achievable plan for 2026/27 and beyond.

“While there are new projects in the mix, we understand the need to ensure maintenance and renewal of existing infrastructure is a priority.”

Despite the budget’s overwhelming focus on roads, the proposed upgrade of the Mundalena Road became the centrepiece of debate before councillors voted to retain the project.

Cr Monique Crossling urged councillors to remove the project from the budget, arguing community consultation had identified stronger priorities elsewhere.

“I want to thank the community who gave us budget feedback this year. From the feedback, I wanted to raise concerns on the proposed upgrade to the Mundalena Road ($415,000). We asked the community for feedback, and we need to be prepared to genuinely consider what they tell us,” Cr Crossling said.

“Looking through the consultation responses, there were multiple submissions expressing the value of spending $400,000 ($415,000) on this project, whether it be better priority for the council.

“Several respondents specifically suggesting there are other roads that will provide a greater public benefit.

“One of those suggestions was the Wrattonbully Road, between Hodgers Lane and Edenhope Road.”

Cr Crossling also questioned whether the Mundalena Road was consistently accessible to the public.

“My other concern with the Mundalena Road is the issue with public access. The community feedback highlighted that gates are often present across that road and it is not always freely accessible to the public.

“I myself have visited Geared Up Hair and Beauty (on Mundalena Road) on many times over the years, and quite honestly, I always believe that road, beyond that point was a private road rather than a public one.

“If council is being asked for (an) investment of $400,000 ($415,000) of ratepayers’ funds into a road, I think ratepayers would reasonably expect that road be openly and consistently accessible to the public.”

She said the council had previously responded to community feedback by removing the Leicester Street playground project from the budget and believed the same principle should apply.

“I believe the same principles should apply here. In my view, spending $400,000 ($415,000) of ratepayer funds on a road that is effectively servicing a very limited number of landholders is difficult to justify, when there are other roads across the district that carry greater public benefit and that have been identified by community as priorities.

“For those reasons, I believe council should consider removing the Mundalena Road upgrade from the budget and reassessing our priorities before committing these funds.”

Cr Craig McGuire supported the proposal.

“$430,000 ($415,000), I’d love to see that money being put back into roads as Cr Crossling has suggested. It doesn’t serve as many people in the community.

“I think that money can be better spent across the whole district. The feedback that I am getting from the community is not positive, and I support Cr Crossling it needs to be removed.”

Cr Cameron Grundy acknowledged concerns about gates restricting access but said the project should proceed if the road remained publicly accessible.

“This has come as a bit of a surprise, but I don’t disagree with the sentiments of gates being across public roads which sort of imply that it’s not for general public trafficking.

“I think going forward, when this lease expires, it needs to be reviewed, and any impediments or perceived impediments suggesting that the road is not for general public trafficking need to be removed, and the road should go ahead on that basis.”

Cr Trevor Rayner said gates on public roads were not unique to Mundalena Road.

“I think this council has got a thing about gates on roads. I have driven around Lucindale quiet a lot and there is more than one road that is shut off. Even West Terrace, in the main township of Lucindale, has got gates on.”

Cr Darren Turner said the project had been debated by several councils and should proceed if public access was guaranteed.

“I am a bit disappointed that this road has sort of come back and forward to a number of councils. I am not sure what the problem is.

“I thought the CEO had engaged with stakeholders and landholders in the region and come back with what would be a reasonable outcome to spend the $400,000 ($415,000) it’s got to be spent at some point in time.

“I think the understanding is the road will be open to the public, and some of the feedback was around that. I am not against it if it is open to the public, but I am against it if it’s gated. That is an issue.”

Cr Crossling’s motion to remove the Mundalena Road project from the budget was supported by Crs McGuire and Tom Dennis.

Crs Cameron Grundy, Darren Turner, Trevor Rayner and Abigail Goodman voted against the motion, while Crs Peter Ireland and Andrew Downward were absent. Following a division called by Cr McGuire, the motion was lost.

Beyond roads, the budget includes $742,131 for ongoing upgrades at the Naracoorte Regional Livestock Exchange, including $527,341 for improvements to the sheep yards.

Other major projects include $300,000 for playground renewal, $258,250 to replace the Vincents Road bridge barrier, $250,000 for Struan Bridge investigations and design, $217,178 for Lucindale footpaths, $180,000 for solar lighting at Naracoorte Memorial Oval, $135,000 for new public amenities at Frances Recreation Reserve, and $115,000 for Naracoorte Aerodrome works.

The budget also introduced a new hard waste voucher system backed by $100,000 to support householders and discourage illegal dumping, while a $150,000 contingency has been set aside to offset potential increases in contractor costs driven by fuel prices.

This article appeared in The Naracoorte News, 1 July 2026.