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 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 Uralla 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
- $699 / yearAbout 42% below the NSW council average of ~$1,203 (2023–24 was $676, vs NSW ~$1,140). A separate domestic waste charge (~$375 in 2024–25) applies. These are OLG time-series figures and predate the special variation that starts in 2026–27 — see Rates & fees. An average residential rate reflects local land values and the council's rating structure, not the level of service.
- Operating performance ratio 9.0%Above the >0% benchmark — an operating surplus on this measure in that year.
- Liquidity & cash
- Unrestricted current ratio 2.42×, debt service cover 19.48×, 14.8 months cash — all passAll three liquidity and debt indicators are above their benchmarks.
- Self-funding
- Own-source revenue 46.8% (misses)Below the >60% benchmark, meaning a larger share of income comes from grants and contributions than the benchmark contemplates — common for small rural councils with a large road network and a small rate base.
- 14.8% (misses)Above the under-10% benchmark that applies to rural councils.
- Infrastructure
- Backlog 4.3% and renewals 81.0% both miss; asset maintenance 105.1% passesThe OLG's 2024–25 file shows the backlog falling to 1.3% and asset maintenance rising to 150.5%, while renewals fall further to 66.8%. We show both years rather than picking one.
- Council's own assessment
- Council describes itself as being in an unsustainable financial positionThat wording is the council's own, from the Long Term Financial Plan material it published with its special rate variation consultation. IPART approved a two-year special variation on 2 June 2026 — see Rates & fees.
| Indicator (2023–24) | Uralla | Meets? | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9.0% | > 0% | Yes | |
| 46.8% | > 60% | No | |
| 2.42× | > 1.5× | Yes | |
| 19.48× | > 2× | Yes | |
| 14.8% | < 10% | No | |
| 14.8 months | > 3 months | Yes | |
| 4.3% | < 2% | No | |
| 105.1% | > 100% | Yes | |
| 81.0% | > 100% | No |
Uralla'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. Uralla met 5 of the 9 benchmarks in 2023–24. The three it missed sit together: own-source revenue below 60%, rates outstanding at 14.8% against a under-10% benchmark, and building and infrastructure renewals at 81% of what was consumed. The picture in the OLG's 2024–25 file is mixed — the infrastructure backlog drops to 1.3% and asset maintenance rises to 150.5%, while renewals fall to 66.8%. Long-term financial sustainability is the explicit reason the council gave for applying to IPART for a special rate variation, which was approved on 2 June 2026 and takes effect from 2026–27. We present the numbers, the council's stated position and the regulator's decision; whether that's the right answer 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
- Office of Local Government — Time-Series Data 2024–25 (infrastructure ratios update) · 2024–25
- Your Say Uralla Shire — Proposed Special Rate Variation (Long Term Financial Plan, financial position) · 2025–26
- Uralla Shire Council — Council reporting and performance (annual reports and financial statements) · Aug 2026
- IPART — Decisions on council special variation applications, 2 June 2026 (PDF) · 2 Jun 2026
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.