Glen Innes Severn 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 Glen Innes Severn as a Large Rural council, so it is benchmarked at under 10% for rates outstanding; metropolitan councils are held to under 5%.) Financial sustainability is the council's own stated central issue: it adopted a Revised Long-Term Financial Plan in June 2025, lodged a special rate variation application with IPART in February 2026, and IPART approved it on 2 June 2026.

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

: $966 / yearAbout 20% below the NSW council average of ~$1,203 (2023–24 was $938, vs NSW ~$1,140). A separate domestic waste charge (~$319 in 2024–25) applies. (OLG time-series data.) These figures pre-date the special rate variation approved in June 2026.
: Operating performance ratio −11.2%Below the >0% benchmark — an operating deficit for the year.
Liquidity & cash: Unrestricted current ratio 2.64× (passes); debt service cover 2.89× and 11.2 months cash (both pass)All three liquidity and debt indicators are on the benchmark side of the line.
Self-funding: Own-source revenue 39.1% (misses)Below the >60% benchmark — the council draws a larger share of its income from grants and contributions than the benchmark contemplates. This is common for large-area, low-population rural councils.
: 13.1%Above the under-10% benchmark that applies to regional and rural councils, so this indicator misses. It measures the share of rates and annual charges that remained uncollected at year end.
Infrastructure: Backlog 8.9% and asset maintenance 91.5% both miss (2023–24); renewals 138.6% passesThe OLG's 2024–25 time-series shows backlog 9.4%, asset maintenance 80.5% and renewals 156.9% — we show both years rather than picking one.

Glen Innes Severn		Meets?
−11.2%	> 0%	No
39.1%	> 60%	No
2.64×	> 1.5×	Yes
2.89×	> 2×	Yes
13.1%	< 10%	No
11.2 months	> 3 months	Yes
8.9%	< 2%	No
91.5%	> 100%	No
138.6%	> 100%	Yes

Glen Innes Severn'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. Glen Innes Severn met 4 of the 9 benchmarks in 2023–24. Two of the misses are worth reading together: rates and charges outstanding sat at 13.1% against the under-10% benchmark for regional and rural councils, and own-source revenue was 39.1% against a >60% benchmark — the council collects a smaller share of its own income and carries a higher share of it uncollected than the benchmarks contemplate. The council has published its own material on this: a Revised Long-Term Financial Plan 2025–2035 adopted on 19 June 2025 alongside a new Community Strategic Plan, and a special rate variation application lodged with IPART on 2 February 2026 proposing a cumulative 48.3% general-rates increase over three years. IPART approved that application on 2 June 2026 (21.5% in 2026–27, 12.0% in 2027–28 and 9.0% in 2028–29, inclusive of the annual rate peg). We present the numbers, the benchmarks and the council's and regulator's own documents; 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.