Swan Hill (VIC) Council budget and finances

Budget & finances

Every Victorian council reports the same set of financial measures to the state each year, under the Local Government Performance Reporting Framework (LGPRF). The state doesn't set pass marks for these measures. So we show Swan Hill's figure for 2024–25 next to the median of all Victorian councils. The median is the middle value: half of councils are above it and half below. The median is a point of reference, not a target.

New to these terms? Read them in plain English

Operating result (surplus / deficit): Income minus expenses for the year's normal operations.
Average residential rate: The typical yearly general-rates bill for a home in the area.

See the full explainer, with formulas →

The numbers

Average rate per property (2024–25): $2,333General rates plus any municipal charge, divided by all property assessments (homes, farms and businesses). The Victorian median is $1,937. For 2026–27 the council's budget sets an average rate of $2,457.15 under the state rate cap.
Adjusted underlying result (2024–25): 2.2% surplusThe operating result without capital grants and contributions, as a share of that revenue. The Victorian median is a 0.56% surplus. The 2026/27 budget projects an underlying operating deficit of $1.476 million.
Loans and borrowings (2024–25): 5.4% of ratesThe Victorian median is 13.2%.
2026–27 capital works: $36.0 millionFunded $22.12m from council cash, $13.62m from grants and $0.28m from contributions (budget key statistics). Named works include the Karinie Street reconstruction, Swan Hill stormwater upgrades, Robinvale drainage, CBD and riverfront works, worker housing and an off-leash dog park, the Pental Island footbridge, and the FOGO rollout.

Measure (2024–25)	Swan Hill	Victorian median
	2.2%	0.56%
Current assets ÷ current liabilities (short-term liquidity)	4.00×	2.17×
Unrestricted cash ÷ current liabilities (free cash)	3.06×	0.26×
Loans and borrowings ÷ rates	5.4%	13.2%
Loan repayments ÷ rates	1.0%	1.4%
Non-current liabilities ÷ own-source revenue	9.5%	16.7%
Asset renewal and upgrade ÷ depreciation	143.0%	94.9%
Rates ÷ adjusted underlying revenue (reliance on rates)	52.8%	57.8%
Rates ÷ property values	0.48%	0.28%
Expenses per property assessment	$4,958	$4,100
Average rate per property assessment	$2,333	$1,937

Swan Hill Rural City Council, LGPRF financial measures, 2024–25, next to the median of the 79 Victorian councils reporting each measure. Source: Local Government Victoria, LGPRF 2020–2025 Full Council Data Set (Nov 2025 release), CC BY 4.0. The median is CouncilBeacon's own calculation.

The LGPRF has no official benchmarks, and Local Government Victoria says its data shouldn't be used for simplistic league tables. So we don't mark any figure as a pass or a fail, and we don't rank councils. The Victorian median is CouncilBeacon's own calculation, taken across the Victorian councils that report each measure in the 2024–25 data set. A figure above or below the median isn't good or bad in itself. Councils differ in size, assets and services; Swan Hill is in the LGPRF's 'Large Shire' group. The council's budget introduction says its Federal Financial Assistance Grants have fallen as a share of tax revenue and that costs have risen faster than the rate cap; that is the council's own account. The 2025–26 figures are due in about November 2026.

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.