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Budget & 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, and match the same figures published in Tenterfield's own audited Statement of Performance Measures. (The OLG classifies Tenterfield 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.
See the full explainer, with formulas →

The numbers

$922 / yearAbout 23% below the NSW council average of ~$1,203 (2023–24 was $875, vs NSW ~$1,140) — one of the lower average residential rates in NSW. Separate domestic waste and recycling charges apply on top (OLG time-series data).
$19.7m surplus including capital grants; a $1.3m deficit once capital grants are excludedTotal income was $55.4m, of which $21.0m was capital grants and contributions — largely disaster-recovery road funding. On the OLG's operating performance ratio (which excludes capital grants) the council recorded 5.47% in 2024–25 and 30.27% in 2023–24, both above the >0% benchmark.
Self-funding
Own-source revenue 39.2% in 2023–24 (misses the >60% benchmark)This is the one ratio the council's own Long Term Financial Plan singles out: it measures how much of the council's income comes from rates, fees and charges rather than grants. Tenterfield's 2024–25 figure was 40.3%. A small rate base spread over 7,324 km² and a large disaster-recovery grant program both pull this ratio down.
Liquidity & cash
Unrestricted current ratio 1.95× and debt service cover 10.44× (2023–24), with 39.8 months of cash cover — all passThe 2024–25 figures were 4.66×, 6.78× and 24.4 months respectively.
Infrastructure
Backlog 3.3% and asset maintenance 100.0% both miss (2023–24); renewals 172.5% passesThe asset maintenance ratio sits exactly on 100.0%, and the benchmark is greater than 100%, so it does not clear the line. The council's audited 2024–25 report on infrastructure assets shows the backlog improving to 2.47%, renewals at 157.4%, but asset maintenance falling to 57.2%.
Capital works budget (2026–27)
$26.3mFrom the adopted Operational Plan 2026–2027: the largest components are the transport network ($13.5m), waste management ($5.0m), sewerage ($4.0m), plant and fleet ($1.1m) and water supply ($1.0m).
Indicator (2023–24)TenterfieldMeets?
30.3%> 0%Yes
39.2%> 60%No
1.95×> 1.5×Yes
10.44×> 2×Yes
5.6%< 10%Yes
39.8 months> 3 monthsYes
3.3%< 2%No
100.0%> 100%No
172.5%> 100%Yes

Tenterfield'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 (identical to the council's audited Statement of Performance Measures).

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. Tenterfield met 6 of the 9 benchmarks in 2023–24. Two caveats matter when reading them. First, the headline surpluses are heavily shaped by disaster-recovery grants for roads — $21.0m of the council's $55.4m income in 2024–25 was capital grants and contributions, and stripping those out leaves a $1.3m deficit for the year. Second, the council says so itself: its adopted Long Term Financial Plan 2025–2036 states that while the audited position is sound, the general fund 'is under immense pressure and without serious attention in the immediate future through reduced service levels or increased revenue (most likely from an SRV), Council will not remain in a sound financial position', and the adopted Delivery Program carries an action to develop special rate variation scenarios for the local roads network. Tenterfield is not currently subject to a performance improvement order or other intervention by the Office of Local Government. We present the numbers, the council's own words about them, and their benchmarks; the judgement is yours.

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.