Coolamon 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 Coolamon 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

: $441 / yearAbout 63% below the NSW council average of ~$1,203 (2023–24 was $419, vs NSW ~$1,140). Rate levels reflect land values and the council's rating structure, not the quality of services. A separate domestic waste charge (~$450 in 2024–25) applies. (OLG time-series data.)
: Operating performance ratio 11.5%Above the >0% benchmark — an operating surplus.
Liquidity & cash: Unrestricted current ratio 10.52×; debt service cover 150.92×; 20.4 months cash — all passThe benchmarks are >1.5×, >2× and >3 months respectively.
Self-funding: Own-source revenue 41.7% (misses)Below the >60% benchmark: less than half of operating revenue comes from rates, charges and fees rather than grants and contributions. In the adopted 2026–27 budget, rates and annual charges raise $5.130M against $9.265M in grants and contributions.
Infrastructure: Backlog 0.0% and renewals 135.2% both pass (2023–24); asset maintenance 96.5% missesThe 2024–25 OLG file shows the backlog again at 0.0%, asset maintenance rising to 108.8% and renewals at 114.6%.
: 5.1%Below the under-10% benchmark that applies to rural councils.
2026–27 budget (adopted 18 June 2026): Income $25.584M · operating result +$1.080M · capital works $7.128MConsolidated figures resolved by Council on 18 June 2026: expenses from continuing operations $19.256M, depreciation $5.248M, forecast cash increase $1.055M.

Coolamon		Meets?
11.5%	> 0%	Yes
41.7%	> 60%	No
10.52×	> 1.5×	Yes
150.92×	> 2×	Yes
5.1%	< 10%	Yes
20.4 months	> 3 months	Yes
0.0%	< 2%	Yes
96.5%	> 100%	No
135.2%	> 100%	Yes

Coolamon'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. Coolamon met 7 of the 9 benchmarks in 2023–24. The one it clearly misses is own-source revenue (41.7% against a >60% benchmark), which measures how much of its income comes from rates, charges and fees rather than grants and contributions. Asset maintenance at 96.5% sits just under its >100% benchmark; the OLG's 2024–25 file shows it at 108.8%, above the line. We present the numbers and their benchmarks; whether that's good value is for you to judge 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.