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Adelaide Council Approves 5.6% Rate Rise, Relaxes Building Height Rules
Local decisions on a 5.6 percent rate rise and relaxed building limits reflect how Adelaide handles population targets compared with other dense urban centres.
How we reported this
Adelaide City Council adopted a 5.6 percent rate increase for 2026-27 that lifts the average residential rate to $2,387, an extra $127 on the prior year. The change affects roughly 30,000 properties in the CBD and North Adelaide.
The move comes as the council pursues a target of 50,000 residents in the CBD and North Adelaide by 2036. That goal requires about 1,000 new homes each year through private development, a pace that forces choices on rates, by-laws and building heights. Similar pressures appear in other compact cities that must balance revenue needs against growth targets without central-government overrides.
Rate and by-law updates
Council endorsed updated 2024 By-laws that took effect on 5 January 2025 and passed the Miscellaneous Amendment By-law 2025, due to start 1 September 2025. These changes sit alongside the rate decision in the 2026-27 draft budget, which also delays upgrades to a major nightlife precinct while directing $13.6 million to the main street revitalisation program. The timing aligns with formal ordinary meetings held twice monthly under the Local Government Act 1999 (SA), the only venues where binding decisions occur.
State government and airport authorities agreed to relax CBD height rules, allowing pre-approval for buildings of 10-15 storeys and up to 134 metres in the eastern area. The adjustment addresses housing shortfalls while the council maintains its own opposition to the North Adelaide Public Golf Course Act 2025, which removed council control over certain assets and EPA oversight for major events.
Population target and skyline implications
Reaching 50,000 residents by 2036 prompts direct discussion of skyline changes and housing capacity inside the existing CBD grid. Council documents record the target as a near-doubling of the current population and tie it to annual private-sector delivery of 1,000 dwellings. The approach mirrors qualitative patterns seen in other mid-sized global cities that ease height limits incrementally while keeping rate-setting authority local.
Next steps centre on the twice-monthly ordinary meetings where councillors will consider further by-law refinements and budget allocations. Residents can review the adopted rates and by-law timelines on the council’s published meeting records.