Budget and Financial Sustainability

Operational Plan 2023/24

Our Operational Plan 2023/24(PDF, 23MB)  includes the budget, rating structure, fees and charges schedule, and our spending priorities for a one year period, grouped into 14 key areas. It prioritises works and projects for continued growth and development. The proposed investment includes capital works as well as operational works to maintain existing infrastructure and services.

Council reports on our budget, on how we are progressing on our planned projects and the measures we are taking to strengthen our long-term financial security. This enables us to track and review progress. Budget progress reports are quarterly and progress reports on our Operational Plan are bi-annual in February and August.

How we will spend our Budget in 2023/24

Each year Council develops a budget to provide infrastructure and services for our community. Council’s budget was adopted as part of Council’s Operational Plan.

In 2023/24, Council has a planned total expenditure of $134 million, being $112.3m in operational expenses, (day to day costs, e.g. running our libraries), $2.5m in SRV expenditure, and $19.45m in capital projects (e.g. building a new playground).

For every $100 in our $112.3 million budget, we’re investing:

Council's 2023/24 Capital Works Program

The Operational Plan 2023/24(PDF, 23MB)  provides for a Capital Works Program of $19.45m. Highlights of the 2023/24 Capital Works Program include:

• $700k for Caledonian Road, Rose Bay - footpath reconstruction, pavement re-sheeting and beach entrance treatment

• $600k for Murray Rose swimming enclosure – rehabilitation works to the superstructure

• $500k for Edgecliff Road, Woollahra, Adelaide Street to Magney Lane – concrete slab reconstruction

• $500k for Wilberforce car park redevelopment

• $480k for Birriga Road Bellevue Hill, O’Sullivan Road to Bundara Road pavement re-sheeting & footpath reconstruction

• $400k for additional funds for Lough Playing Fields multi-courts sports facilities

• $400k for Bunyula Road – new stormwater pipe and pit work

• $300k for Cross Street car park redevelopment.

The chart below shows the breakdown of the total capital works program between categories:

A requirement of the Local Government Act 1993(s.403) is that a council must have a long-term Resourcing Strategy for the provision of the resources required to perform its functions. The Resourcing Strategy integrates with the Council Delivery Program and Operational Plan. The Resourcing

Strategy consist of the following three components: 

1. Long Term Financial Plan

2. Workforce Management Plan

3. Asset Management Plan.

Council needs to maintain a financially sustainable position over time so that we can provide infrastructure and services for the benefit of our community. The Long Term Financial Plan (LTFP) helps us develop a plan to achieve this. Council’s LTFP is a tool to aid decision making, priority setting and problem solving. 

The LTFP expresses in financial terms the activities Council proposes to undertake in the short, medium and long term so that we can provide infrastructure and services for the benefit of our community. It is a 10-year rolling plan which is updated annually. It is reviewed, updated and publicly exhibited each year prior to adoption by Council.

Long Term Financial Plan 2023/24 – 2032/33(PDF, 6MB)

Council's draft Long Term Financial Plan 2023/24 - 2032/33 was placed on formal public exhibition from 26 April to 23 May 2023. Members of the community were invited to make public submissions expressing their views on the draft plans during the public exhibition period to be considered by Council. Public submissions received were considered at a Council Strategic and Corporate Committee meeting held 19 June 2023, prior to a Council meeting 26 June 2023, where the final Long Term Financial Plan 2023/24 - 2032/33 was adopted, commencing 1 July 2023.

Our Financial Challenges

Quarterly Budget Update Q1 23/24(PDF, 30MB)

Capital Projects(PDF, 2MB)

Community Covid Support(PDF, 8MB)

Rates and Annual Charges

Our Plans