Central Darling Shire Council budget and finances

Budget & finances

Comparing raw dollar totals between councils isn't very useful — bigger councils naturally have bigger numbers. What does tell you about a council's financial health are normalised indicators: the standard ratios that every NSW council reports against the Office of Local Government's benchmarks, plus per-property figures you can compare to the NSW average. The ratios below are from the NSW Government's 'Your Council' / OLG time-series data for 2023-24. (The OLG classifies Central Darling as a Rural council, so it is benchmarked at under 10% for rates outstanding; metropolitan councils are held to under 5%.)

New to these terms? Read them in plain English

Operating performance ratio: Whether everyday income covers everyday running costs.
Own-source operating revenue ratio: How much of the council's income it raises itself vs. grants from other governments.
Unrestricted current ratio: Whether the council has enough spare cash to pay its short-term bills.
Debt service cover ratio: How comfortably operating cash covers the council's loan repayments.
Rates & annual charges outstanding ratio: The share of rates bills that haven't been paid by year-end.
Cash expense cover ratio: How many months the council could keep paying bills if income stopped.
Infrastructure backlog ratio: The cost of fixing run-down assets, as a share of what those assets are worth.
Asset maintenance ratio: Whether the council actually spends what it should on maintaining its assets.
Building & infrastructure renewals ratio: Whether assets are being renewed as fast as they wear out.
Operating result (surplus / deficit): Income minus expenses for the year's normal operations.
OLG benchmark: The healthy target set by the state for each financial ratio.
Average residential rate: The typical yearly general-rates bill for a home in the area.
Office of Local Government (OLG): The NSW body overseeing councils; publishes the financial data.

See the full explainer, with formulas →

The numbers

: $332 / yearAbout 72% below the NSW council average of ~$1,203 (2023-24 was $356, vs NSW ~$1,140). Rate levels reflect land values and the council's rating structure, not the level of service. A separate domestic waste charge applies (~$521 in 2024-25 on OLG data; the council's 2026-27 Fees and Charges sets the Waste Management Service charge at $756). (OLG time-series data.)
: Operating performance ratio 0.7%Above the >0% benchmark — a small operating surplus.
Liquidity & cash: Unrestricted current ratio 3.12x; debt service cover 24.22x; 4.8 months cashAll three clear their benchmarks (>1.5x, >2x and >3 months respectively).
Self-funding: Own-source revenue 20.0% (misses the >60% benchmark)The lowest-scoring of the nine indicators. The council's own 2026-27 budget shows why the ratio is where it is: rate income of $1.05M and annual charges of $1.81M against operating grants of $15.07M and capital grants of $15.08M. A shire of ~1,767 people across 53,492 km² has a very small rate base relative to the road and water networks it maintains.
Infrastructure: Backlog 18.0% misses (2023-24); asset maintenance 182.1% and renewals 172.8% both passThe OLG's 2024-25 time-series shows the backlog easing to 16.6%, asset maintenance at 178.8% and renewals at 166.7%.
: 9.0%Below the under-10% benchmark that applies to rural councils, though close to the line.
Capital works and grants (2026-27): $21.8M capital program, 89% grant fundedThe council's adopted 2026-27 Operational Plan and Budget sets a capital works program of $21,797,961 — $7.3M renewal and $14.5M new/upgrade — of which 89% is grant funded. Announced projects include aerodrome runway pavement and extension ($5.0M, 100% grant funded), White Cliffs Caravan Park redevelopment ($1.0M), CCTV at Ivanhoe and Menindee ($0.8M), shared path upgrades ($0.8M), solar and battery installations ($0.7M) and $1.9M of Roads to Recovery road projects. The budget also shows $2.9M of OLG sustainability funding in 2026-27.

Central Darling		Meets?
0.7%	> 0%	Yes
20.0%	> 60%	No
3.12x	> 1.5x	Yes
24.22x	> 2x	Yes
9.0%	< 10%	Yes
4.8 months	> 3 months	Yes
18.0%	< 2%	No
182.1%	> 100%	Yes
172.8%	> 100%	Yes

Central Darling's financial-health indicators, 2023-24, against the NSW Office of Local Government benchmarks. 'Meets?' simply states whether the figure is on the benchmark side of the line. Source: NSW Government 'Your Council' / OLG time-series data, 2023-24.

These ratios are the standard, size-independent way to read a council's finances, which is why we use them instead of raw dollar totals. Central Darling met 7 of the 9 benchmarks in 2023-24. The two it did not meet are own-source revenue (20.0% against a >60% benchmark) and the infrastructure backlog (18.0% against <2%, easing to 16.6% in the OLG's 2024-25 file). Both are arithmetic facts about a council with roughly 1,767 residents, the largest land area of any LGA in NSW, and a correspondingly small rate base — the council's own budget shows grants supplying most of its income. The NSW Government committed $6 million over two years in the 2025-26 State Budget to support the council's transition out of administration and its long-term financial stability. We present the numbers and their benchmarks; the judgement is yours from the sources below.

Sources — check it yourself

Figures are current as at the dates shown and may change — always confirm with the linked source. See the notice at the bottom of the page for full details and how to report a correction.