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 Wentworth 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
- $891 / yearAbout 26% below the NSW council average of ~$1,203 (2023–24 was $839, vs NSW ~$1,140). A separate domestic waste charge applies — $318 in 2024–25, rising to $370.25 in 2026–27 to fund the new three-bin service. (OLG time-series data; council Operational Plan 2026/2027.)
- Operating performance ratio 1.5%Above the >0% benchmark — a small operating surplus.
- Liquidity & cash
- Unrestricted current ratio 2.93×; debt service cover 7.16×; 21.3 months cash (all pass)All three liquidity and debt measures are comfortably on the benchmark side.
- Self-funding
- Own-source revenue 46.0% (misses)Below the >60% benchmark — the council raises less than half its revenue itself and relies more on grants. Its 2026/2027 budget shows $13.2M of operating grants against $12.7M of rates and annual charges, and the Operational Plan notes that the shire's small population base limits what can be raised from fees and charges.
- Infrastructure
- Backlog 2.9% and asset maintenance 82.2% both miss (2023–24); renewals 396.7% passesThe OLG's 2024–25 time-series shows the backlog rising to 11.1%, asset maintenance improving to 98.7% (just under the 100% line) and renewals easing to 304.0% — we present both years rather than picking one.
- 9.7%Just inside the under-10% benchmark that applies to rural councils.
- 2026/2027 budget
- $45.9M income; $36.1M operating and $18.0M capital expenditureThe council budgets 149.80 full-time-equivalent staff, no new loan borrowings in 2026/2027, and a projected cash balance of $32.7M at 30 June 2027. (Operational Plan 2026/2027.)
| Indicator (2023–24) | Wentworth | Meets? | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5% | > 0% | Yes | |
| 46.0% | > 60% | No | |
| 2.93× | > 1.5× | Yes | |
| 7.16× | > 2× | Yes | |
| 9.7% | < 10% | Yes | |
| 21.3 months | > 3 months | Yes | |
| 2.9% | < 2% | No | |
| 82.2% | > 100% | No | |
| 396.7% | > 100% | Yes |
Wentworth'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. Wentworth met 6 of the 9 benchmarks in 2023–24. The three misses cluster in two places: own-source revenue (46.0%, well under the 60% line, meaning a larger share of income comes from grants) and the two infrastructure condition ratios — though renewals spending was nearly four times depreciation that year, which is the opposite signal. The 2024–25 file moves those infrastructure numbers again (backlog 11.1%, maintenance 98.7%, renewals 304.0%), so we show both years. 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
- Office of Local Government — Time-Series Data 2024–25 (infrastructure ratios update) · 2024–25
- Your Council (NSW Government) — council data · 2023–24
- Wentworth Shire Council — Operational Plan 2026/2027 (budget, revenue statement, fees & charges) · Endorsed 24 Jun 2026
- Wentworth Shire Council — Integrated Planning & Reporting (plans, budget reviews) · 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.