For years, our 1-kilometre dirt road — a main access route used by tourists, freight operators and livestock transport travelling to and from William Creek — was graded regularly. It wasn’t perfect. But it was maintained.
In the last 18 months, it has been graded once.
Today it is badly corrugated. The vibration is relentless. Suspension damage is inevitable. I will likely be up for my third wheel balance in 12 months — not because of reckless driving, but because of neglect.
And this is not a quiet residential cul-de-sac. This is a primary access road servicing business, tourism and freight.
So the obvious question is:
Is this happening to other dirt road residents across Coober Pedy?
Commercial Rates. Rural Standards.
We pay commercial rates because we operate a business from our property. We are about to open for the season. Visitors will travel this road to reach us.
Ten days ago, we submitted a written request to council.
We have received no acknowledgment.
No confirmation of receipt.
No timeline.
No grading.
There is now a rumour circulating that council does not even have a functioning grader.
If that is true, it is beyond incompetence. It is scandalous.
A town built almost entirely on dirt roads — without the machinery to maintain them? That is not a budget oversight. That is systemic failure.
The Highest Rates in Australia
And here is where the anger turns to disbelief.
According to the 2024/25 rates comparison table, Coober Pedy sits at the very top of South Australian council charges — and among the highest in the nation when comparing equivalent property values.
On a $200,000 property:
- The average fixed + variable charge across councils is approximately $931.
- Coober Pedy’s equivalent charge sits at over $3,000.
- The cents-in-the-dollar rate is dramatically higher than metropolitan councils.
We are not marginally higher.
We are astronomically higher.
We are paying city-level — and in many cases above city-level — rates in a remote town receiving near-zero service return.
How is this defensible?
And Then There’s the Water
Let’s talk about water.
Residential and commercial water in Coober Pedy is charged at:
- $9.00 per kilolitre (first tier)
- $12.60 per kilolitre (second tier)
- $14.36 per kilolitre (third tier)
At the upper tiers, that equates to roughly $15 per kilolitre — making it the highest in Australia.
Our closest comparable town pays roughly one-third of that.
We live in a remote environment. We understand logistics cost money. But three times the cost of comparable towns?
At what point does “regional pricing” become price gouging?
Years of Administrators. Years of Decline.
Coober Pedy has endured a revolving door of administrators and CEOs.
Each promising stability.
Each promising reform.
Each leaving us deeper in debt and with higher charges.
Roads deteriorate.
Costs rise.
Communication disappears.
Where is the accountability?
Where is the long-term financial recovery plan that actually benefits residents?
Where is the infrastructure investment?
Where Is the State Government?
Peter Malinauskas has toured regional South Australia extensively during election campaigns. Promises were made. Commitments given. Photo opportunities taken.
But Coober Pedy continues to crumble under the weight of its own council structure.
Is our electorate too small to matter?
Are we simply an inconvenient dot on the map?
Because from where we stand — on a corrugated, neglected dirt road — that is exactly how it feels.
Paying the Most. Receiving the Least.
This is not just about one road.
It is about a pattern.
- Highest rates.
- Highest water prices.
- Deteriorating infrastructure.
- Silence from council.
- Silence from state government.
Coober Pedy residents are resilient. We have built businesses in one of the harshest environments in Australia. We understand hardship.
But resilience should not be mistaken for tolerance.
We are not asking for extravagance.
We are asking for basic governance.
If council does not have a functioning grader, tell us.
If finances are in crisis, show us the books.
If state support is required, demand it publicly.
Because what we have now is the worst combination possible:
Extraordinary cost.
Minimal service.
No transparency.
And that is unsustainable.
The question is no longer whether residents are frustrated.
The question is: how long before that frustration turns into something far more organised?