Financial Sustainability
Supporting our community today and into the future
Financial sustainability is about making sure Council can continue to deliver essential services, maintain infrastructure, and plan for the future—without placing an unfair burden on current or future generations.
At Temora Shire Council, we are committed to being transparent about our financial position and helping our community understand the challenges and choices we face.
What is Financial Sustainability?
Financial sustainability means balancing what we spend, what we earn, and what we need to maintain and improve over time.
For Council, this involves:
Delivering essential services
We provide a wide range of services that support everyday life, including:
Maintaining infrastructure
Council is responsible for a large network of assets such as:
These assets must be maintained and eventually replaced.
Planning for the future
We plan ahead to ensure we can meet:
Living within our means
We aim to ensure that:
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Ongoing costs are affordable
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Debt is managed responsibly
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Future generations are not left with financial shortfalls
A financially sustainable Council can:
- Maintain essential services such as roads, parks, libraries, and community facilities.
- Invest in infrastructure that supports growth and improves liveability.
- Plan ahead with confidence, knowing that resources will be available when needed.
- Minimise financial shocks from unexpected events such as natural disasters or economic change.
Financial sustainability underpins Council’s ability to deliver on Our Plan for the Future and ensures that Temora Shire remains a strong, vibrant, and resilient community.
Why Financial Sustainability Matters
Financial sustainability is about ensuring Council has the resources to deliver the services, facilities and infrastructure our community relies on — not just today, but well into the future.
Like households and businesses, Council faces ongoing cost pressures such as rising prices, asset maintenance, and community expectations for quality services. Managing these responsibly means balancing income and expenditure, investing wisely, and finding efficiencies wherever possible.
Council has been on an extensive, long-term improvement journey already, which has included developing a Financial Sustainability Strategy, and remains committed to continuing with saving initiatives as part of a whole-of-organisation improvement plan.
Read Council's Organisational Efficiency and Productivity Gains Improvement Plan here(PDF, 2MB).
How Council is Funded?
Council uses a mix of income sources to deliver services and maintain infrastructure:
Rates
Rates are Council’s main and most stable source of income. They fund a large portion of everyday services and infrastructure.
Grants and funding
We receive funding from State and Federal Governments for specific projects and services. These are often tied to particular programs and cannot be used freely.
Fees and charges
These include user fees such as:
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Waste services
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Facility hire
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Regulatory services
Other income
This includes interest, investments, and other minor revenue sources.
Council's Current Financial Position
Temora Shire Council carefully monitors its financial performance to ensure long-term sustainability.
Like many regional councils, we face increasing pressure from:
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Rising costs of materials, labour, and services
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Ageing infrastructure requiring renewal
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Limited growth in revenue
We are committed to maintaining a strong financial position while continuing to deliver essential services to our community.
What Council is Doing?
Council is actively working to manage these challenges through:
Long-term financial planning
We use a Long-Term Financial Plan to guide decisions and ensure sustainability over time.
Asset management planning
We plan for the maintenance and replacement of infrastructure to avoid unexpected costs.
Efficiency improvements
We regularly review how services are delivered to ensure value for money.
Responsible decision-making
We carefully balance service levels, affordability, and long-term outcomes.
Learn more
You can learn more about Council’s financial position through the following documents:
FAQ's:
What does financial sustainability mean for Council?
It means Council can continue to deliver services and maintain infrastructure now and into the future, without running into financial difficulties or passing costs onto future generations.
Why is financial sustainability important?
Without it, Council may struggle to maintain roads, facilities, and services that the community relies on every day.
What do my rates pay for?
Rates help fund essential services such as roads, waste collection, parks, community facilities, and general Council operations.
Why do my rates increase?
Rate increases are generally set by the NSW Government and are designed to help councils keep up with rising costs.
Can Council increase rates whenever it wants?
No. Rate increases are capped each year unless Council applies for a Special Rate Variation (SRV) and receives approval from the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART).
An SRV may be considered if additional funding is needed to maintain services, renew infrastructure, or improve financial sustainability.
Why can’t Council just cut costs?
Council already works to operate efficiently, but many costs are unavoidable (such as maintaining infrastructure and delivering essential services). Reducing costs too much can impact service levels and community wellbeing.
How does Council plan for the future?
Council uses long-term financial and asset management plans to forecast future costs and ensure decisions are sustainable.