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 Hay as a Rural council in group 9, 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
- $588 / yearAbout 51% below the NSW council average of ~$1,203 (2023–24 was $611, vs NSW ~$1,140). Average residential rates reflect local land values and each council's rating structure, not the level of service. A separate domestic waste charge applies — ~$462 in 2024–25, rising to $600 per service in the council's 2026–27 Revenue Policy. (OLG time-series data.)
- Operating performance ratio 10.0%Above the >0% benchmark — an operating surplus on this measure.
- Liquidity & cash
- Unrestricted current ratio 1.66× (passes); debt service cover 19.86×, 19.4 months cash (both pass)All three liquidity and debt measures are on the benchmark side of the line.
- Self-funding
- Own-source revenue 28.2% (misses)Well below the >60% benchmark: most of the council's income comes from grants and contributions rather than rates, fees and charges. This is common for very small rural councils with a large road network and a small rate base — Hay covers 11,326 km² with about 2,861 residents.
- Infrastructure
- Backlog 0.7%, asset maintenance 138.6%, renewals 114.9% — all three pass (2023–24)The OLG's 2024–25 time-series shows backlog 0.6%, asset maintenance 79.5% and renewals 176.6%; we show both years rather than picking one.
- 13.2% (misses)Above the under-10% benchmark that applies to rural councils — that share of rates and annual charges levied was still uncollected at year end.
| Indicator (2023–24) | Hay | Meets? | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10.0% | > 0% | Yes | |
| 28.2% | > 60% | No | |
| 1.66× | > 1.5× | Yes | |
| 19.86× | > 2× | Yes | |
| 13.2% | < 10% | No | |
| 19.4 months | > 3 months | Yes | |
| 0.7% | < 2% | Yes | |
| 138.6% | > 100% | Yes | |
| 114.9% | > 100% | Yes |
Hay'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. Hay met 7 of the 9 benchmarks in 2023–24. The two it missed are own-source revenue (28.2% against a >60% benchmark) and rates and annual charges outstanding (13.2% against <10% for rural councils). On the other side, all three infrastructure ratios passed in 2023–24, and the operating result, liquidity, debt cover and cash buffer were all above benchmark. The 2024–25 OLG file shows the infrastructure picture moving — asset maintenance down to 79.5% and renewals up to 176.6% — which can reflect the timing of works as much as a change in condition. Cost shifting from other levels of government is a theme the council has raised publicly (July 2025 media release, linked below). 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
- Your Council (NSW Government) — Hay · 2023–24
- Office of Local Government — Time-Series Data 2024–25 (infrastructure ratios update) · 2024–25
- Hay Shire Council — Council Plans and Reports (Annual Report 2024–25, LTFP 2026–2036, financial statements) · 2026
- Hay Shire Council — Highlights Impact of Cost Shifting on Ratepayers and Services · Jul 2025
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.