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 Junee as a Large 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
- $1,223 / yearAbout 2% above the NSW council average of ~$1,203. In 2023–24 the figure was $906 against an NSW average of ~$1,140; a special rate variation approved by IPART in June 2023 lifted Junee's rates income in 2023–24 and 2024–25 (see Rates & fees). A separate domestic waste charge (~$335 in 2024–25, $446 in 2023–24) applies. (OLG time-series data.)
- Operating performance ratio 4.9%Above the >0% benchmark — a surplus on the OLG measure for that year.
- Liquidity & cash
- Unrestricted current ratio 1.97× and debt service cover 4.97× (both pass); 8.9 months cash cover (passes)All three liquidity and debt measures are on the benchmark side of the line for 2023–24.
- Self-funding
- Own-source revenue 54.2% (misses)Below the >60% benchmark — the ratio measures rates, fees and charges as a share of total operating revenue, so a larger share of Junee's revenue comes from grants and contributions.
- Infrastructure
- Backlog 3.5% and renewals 81.8% both miss (2023–24); asset maintenance 131.5% passesThe OLG's 2024–25 time-series shows the backlog ratio at 3.4%, asset maintenance at 121.7% and building & infrastructure renewals at 163.1% — we present both years rather than picking one.
- 8.0%Below the under-10% benchmark that applies to rural councils.
| Indicator (2023–24) | Junee | Meets? | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.9% | > 0% | Yes | |
| 54.2% | > 60% | No | |
| 1.97× | > 1.5× | Yes | |
| 4.97× | > 2× | Yes | |
| 8.0% | < 10% | Yes | |
| 8.9 months | > 3 months | Yes | |
| 3.5% | < 2% | No | |
| 131.5% | > 100% | Yes | |
| 81.8% | > 100% | No |
Junee'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. Junee met 6 of the 9 benchmarks in 2023–24; the three it did not meet were own-source revenue (54.2% against >60%), the infrastructure backlog ratio (3.5% against <2%) and building & infrastructure renewals (81.8% against >100%). The OLG's 2024–25 file shows the backlog ratio at 3.4%, asset maintenance at 121.7% and renewals at 163.1%. For the year ahead, Council's adopted Operational Plan 2026/27 budgets a consolidated operating result of $1.17 million on total income of $23.13 million, with $8.89 million from rates and annual charges and $5.085 million of capital spending. 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) — Junee · 2023–24
- Office of Local Government — Time-Series Data 2024–25 (infrastructure ratios update) · 2024–25
- Junee Shire Council — Operational Plan 2026/27 (adopted 23 June 2026) · 2026–27
- Junee Shire Council — Financial Reports
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.