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 Oberon 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
- $975 / yearAbout 19% below the NSW council average of ~$1,203 (2023–24 was $1,028, vs NSW ~$1,140). Per-property rates track land values and each council's rating structure, not the level of service. (OLG time-series data.)
- Average domestic waste charge (2024–25)
- $119 — the lowest figure in the OLG's NSW table2023–24 was $142. The NSW median in the same table is roughly $475 (2023–24) and $514 (2024–25). Read alongside how the service is actually structured: Council's own adopted charge for its only domestic waste service — a 240-litre bin collected weekly — is $265.50 in 2025–26 and $280.35 in 2026–27, and that service is only available inside the Oberon town limits and the Stratford Downs subdivision (about 1,250 properties). We state both figures with their years and sources rather than reconciling them.
- Operating performance ratio −2.5%Below the >0% benchmark — an operating deficit. Council's own 2026–27 Long-Term Financial Plan states it is forecast to remain below the OLG's ≥0% benchmark.
- Liquidity & cash
- Unrestricted current ratio 4.80× and debt service cover 7.10× (both pass); 17.2 months cash (passes)All three liquidity and debt indicators are above their benchmarks.
- Self-funding
- Own-source revenue 46.7% (misses)Below the >60% benchmark, meaning a larger share of income comes from grants and contributions than the benchmark contemplates.
- Rates and annual charges outstanding (2023–24)
- 15.5%The benchmark for a rural council is under 10%. Council publishes a Long-Term Financial Plan and annual audited financial statements — both are linked below if you want to read the underlying detail yourself.
- Infrastructure
- Backlog 7.6% misses (2023–24); asset maintenance 116.1% and renewals 262.0% both passThe OLG's 2024–25 time-series shows the backlog at 6.4%, asset maintenance at 114.5% and renewals at 116.7%.
| Indicator (2023–24) | Oberon | Meets? | |
|---|---|---|---|
| −2.5% | > 0% | No | |
| 46.7% | > 60% | No | |
| 4.80× | > 1.5× | Yes | |
| 7.10× | > 2× | Yes | |
| 15.5% | < 10% | No | |
| 17.2 months | > 3 months | Yes | |
| 7.6% | < 2% | No | |
| 116.1% | > 100% | Yes | |
| 262.0% | > 100% | Yes |
Oberon'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. Oberon met 5 of the 9 benchmarks in 2023–24: liquidity, debt service cover, cash cover, asset maintenance and renewals are above their benchmarks; the operating result, own-source revenue, rates outstanding and the infrastructure backlog are below theirs. Council's own Long-Term Financial Plan, Operational Plan and audited financial statements are published in full and linked below — we present the numbers and their benchmarks; the judgement is yours.
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
- Oberon Council — Long-Term Financial Plan (2026/27 IP&R documents) · 2026–27
- Oberon Council — Integrated Planning & Reporting (annual reports, operational plans, LTFP) · 2026
- Have Your Say Oberon — 2024/2025 Audited Financial Statements · 2024–25
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.