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 Gilgandra 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.
The numbers
- $800 / yearAbout 33% below the NSW council average of ~$1,203 (2023–24 was $771, vs NSW ~$1,140). A separate domestic waste charge (~$386 in 2024–25) applies. An average residential rate reflects local land values and the council's rating structure — Gilgandra levies a minimum amount on most residential assessments — and is not a measure of service levels. (OLG time-series data.)
- Operating performance ratio 8.3%Above the >0% benchmark — an operating surplus on the OLG measure.
- Liquidity & cash
- Unrestricted current ratio 4.85×, debt service cover 14.54×, 10.7 months cash — all passAll three liquidity and debt indicators are above their benchmarks (>1.5×, >2× and >3 months respectively).
- Self-funding
- Own-source revenue 60.2% (passes)Just above the >60% benchmark, meaning grants and contributions supply just under 40% of total income.
- Infrastructure
- Backlog 0.9% and asset maintenance 154.1% both pass; renewals 74.7% misses (2023–24)The OLG's 2024–25 time-series shows backlog 1.0%, asset maintenance 106.4% and renewals 147.7% — so the renewals ratio that missed in 2023–24 is above benchmark in the following year's file. We show both rather than picking one.
- 12.7%Above the under-10% benchmark that applies to rural councils — this is the one liquidity-side indicator Gilgandra does not clear.
- Budget scale (2026/27)
- Estimated income $87.29M, estimated expenditure $91.72M (all funds)Council's adopted Delivery Program and Operational Plan 2026/27–2029/30 forecasts a consolidated result of a $4.43M deficit after depreciation, or a $3.49M surplus before depreciation. The consolidated figures include Council's aged-care, disability and supported-employment operations (Cooee Lodge, Jack Towney Hostel, Orana Living, Carlginda Enterprises) as well as the General, Water and Sewerage funds.
| Indicator (2023–24) | Gilgandra | Meets? | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8.3% | > 0% | Yes | |
| 60.2% | > 60% | Yes | |
| 4.85× | > 1.5× | Yes | |
| 14.54× | > 2× | Yes | |
| 12.7% | < 10% | No | |
| 10.7 months | > 3 months | Yes | |
| 0.9% | < 2% | Yes | |
| 154.1% | > 100% | Yes | |
| 74.7% | > 100% | No |
Gilgandra'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. Gilgandra met 7 of the 9 benchmarks in 2023–24. The two it did not clear were rates and annual charges outstanding (12.7% against a rural benchmark of under 10%) and the building and infrastructure renewals ratio (74.7% against >100%) — and the OLG's 2024–25 file shows renewals at 147.7%, above the benchmark, with asset maintenance at 106.4% and the backlog at 1.0%. Note that from 2024–25 the OLG removed these nine ratios from the mandated audited performance statement and is reviewing them, so the newest file is partly populated. 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
- Office of Local Government — Time-Series Data 2023–24 (all NSW councils, benchmark ratios) · 2023–24
- Office of Local Government — Time-Series Data 2024–25 (infrastructure ratios update) · 2024–25
- Gilgandra Shire Council — Delivery Program and Operational Plan 2026/27–2029/30 (budget forecast, PDF) · 2026–27
- Gilgandra Shire Council — Financial information (statements, budget, fees) · 2026
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.