Metropolitan councils debt score card.

There is a huge variety in the reliance each of Adelaide’s metropolitan councils places on debt to keep running. The following table shows total debt divided by the population of each local government area. In other words, it corrects for the differences in sizes between the various councils.

Clearly, Norwood  Payneham and St Peters is the champion, with 45% higher debt per capita than Holdfast Bay, the next most indebted council.

Time for a fresh approach.

Sources: Debt: Council long term financial plans; Population: ABS Census 2021