The department will be closed from Monday 23 December 2024 and will reopen on Thursday 2 January 2025. We will respond to queries in the new year. Best wishes for a safe and happy festive season.
Intro
This guideline is intended to provide a clear explanation of each ratio required to be included in the annual financial report under section 6.4(2) of the Local Government Act 1995 and Regulation 50 of the Local Government (Financial Management) Regulations 1996.
An explanation of the purpose of each ratio is included to ensure staff and elected members are able to interpret what the ratio result means for the local government.
Definitions are included to fully describe what is meant by the terms used in the ratios.
The guideline is designed to assist local government officers in preparing financial ratios, and provide elected members and officers with an understanding of each ratio.
Financial ratios are designed to provide users of annual financial reports with a clearer interpretation of the performance and financial results of a local government and a comparison of trends over a number of years.
On occasions, there have been inconsistencies in the calculation and interpretation of financial ratios. If information is to be meaningful, it should be prepared accurately and consistently. Ratios may be disclosed as a percentage or a factor of one.
These indicators provide a short term measure of the financial sustainability of local governments and complement the national criteria endorsed by the Local Government and Planning Ministers' Council. They provide for a comprehensive tool for monitoring the financial sustainability of local governments.
Financial ratios are included in the notes to the annual financial report. These ratios provide users with key indicators of the financial performance of a local government and include comparisons with two prior years.
Under regulation 50 of the Local Government (Financial Management) Regulations 1996, the annual financial report is to include, for the financial year covered by the annual financial report and the two preceding financial years, the following:
As several of the ratios are to be reported for the first time in the 2012/13 financial year, local governments are expected to make reasonable efforts to calculate the ratios for the two prior years. However comparatives for 2010/11 and 2011/12 are not required for the assets consumption ratio or asset renewal funding ratio.
This guideline analyses each of these ratios according to the information they provide. The ratios are classified under the following headings:
Liquidity refers to how quickly and cheaply an asset can be converted into cash. A local government's liquidity is measured by the 'Current Ratio'. This ratio provides information on the ability of a local government to meet its short-term financial obligations out of unrestricted current assets. The calculation of this ratio is explained as follows:
(Current Assets MINUS Restricted Assets) divided by(Current Liabilities MINUS Liabilities Associated with Restricted Assets)
This is a modified commercial ratio designed to focus on the liquidity position of a local government that has arisen from past year's transactions.
The standard is not met if the ratio is lower than 1:1 (less than 100%) The standard is met if the ratio is greater than 1:1 (100% or greater)
A ratio less than 1:1 means that a local government does not have sufficient assets that can be quickly converted into cash to meet its immediate cash commitments. This may arise from a budget deficit from the past year, a Council decision to operate an overdraft or a decision to fund leave entitlements from next year's revenues.
Means the lesser value of a current liability or the cash component of restricted assets held to fund that liability. Commonly this is the cash reserve for long service leave, annual leave and other employee entitlements. Ideally the cash reserve amount should be the same as the provision amount but this is rarely the case.
A local government's ability to service debt is measured by the 'Debt Service Cover Ratio'. This is the measurement of a local government's ability to produce enough cash to cover its debt payments.
Annual Operating Surplus BEFORE Interest and Depreciation divided byPrincipal and Interest
This ratio is the measurement of a local government’s ability to repay its debt including lease payments. The higher the ratio is, the easier it is for a local government to obtain a loan.
A Basic standard is achieved if the ratio is greater than or equal to two. An Advanced standard is achieved if the ratio is greater than five.
A local government's ability to cover its costs through its own taxing and revenue efforts is measured by the 'Own Source Revenue Coverage Ratio'.
Own Source Operating Revenue divided byOperating Expense
This ratio is the measurement of a local government’s ability to cover its costs through its own revenue efforts.
Different standards have been established to recognise the varying revenue raising capacities across the sector, where some rural and remote local governments have limited rate bases and revenue raising capacity, whereas others such as major metropolitan and regional local governments have significant rate bases and other own source revenues.
A Basic standard is achieved if the ratio is between 40% and 60% (or 0.4 and 0.6). An Intermediate standard is achieved if the ratio is between 60% and 90% (or 0.6 and 0.9). An Advanced standard is achieved if the ratio is greater than 90% (or > 0.9).
*Note: Typically local governments disclose, in their annual financial statements, a nature or type classification described as 'Reimbursements and Recoveries, Contributions and Donations' (or similar). In order to calculate the value of own source revenue, it is essential that reimbursements and recoveries are disclosed separately from contributions and donations. This can be by way of note.
A key indicator of a local government's financial performance is measured by the 'Operating Surplus Ratio'. If a local government consistently achieves a positive operating surplus ratio and has soundly based long term financial plans showing that it can continue to do so in future, having regard to asset management and the community's service level needs, then it is considered financially sustainable.
A positive ratio indicates the percentage of total own source revenue available to help fund proposed capital expenditure, transfer to cash reserves or to reduce debt. A negative ratio indicates the percentage increase in total own source revenue (principally rates) that would have been required to achieve a break-even operating result.
(Operating Revenue MINUS Operating Expense) divided byOwn Source Operating Revenue
This ratio is a measure of a local government’s ability to cover its operational costs and have revenues available for capital funding or other purposes.
Basic Standard between 1% and 15% (0.01 and 0.15) Advanced Standard > 15% (>0.15).
*Note: Typically local governments disclose in their annual financial statements, a nature or type classification described as 'Reimbursements and Recoveries, Contributions and Donations' (or similar). In order to calculate the value of own source revenue, it is essential that reimbursements and recoveries are disclosed separately from contributions and donations. This can be by way of note.
This ratio seeks to highlight the aged condition of a local government's stock of physical assets. If a local government is responsibly maintaining and renewing / replacing its assets in accordance with a well prepared asset management plan, then the fact that its Asset Consumption Ratio may be relatively low and/or declining should not be cause for concern – providing it is operating sustainably.
This ratio measures the extent to which depreciable assets have been consumed by comparing their written down value to their replacement cost.
Standard is met if the ratio can be measured and is 50% or greater (0.50 or >). Standard is improving if the ratio is between 60% and 75% (0.60 and 0.75).
In AASB 136 paragraph Aus 32.2 'The current replacement cost of an asset is its cost measured by reference to the lowest cost at which the gross future economic benefits of that asset could currently be obtained in the normal course of business.'
In addition, AASB 13 paragraph B8 provides 'The cost approach reflects the amount that would be required currently to replace the service capacity of an asset (often referred to as current replacement cost).' More detailed explanation is included in AASB 13 paragraph B9.
Note that the values for depreciated replacement cost of depreciable assets and the current replacement cost of depreciable assets are not amounts disclosed in the annual financial statements and the calculations involved should be discussed with auditors.
This ratio is an approximation of the extent to which assets managed by a local government are being replaced as these reach the end of their useful lives. It is calculated by measuring capital expenditure on renewal or replacement of assets, relative to depreciation expense. Expenditure on new or additional assets is excluded.
Depreciation expense represents an estimate of the extent to which the assets have been consumed during that period. Measuring assets at fair value is critical to the calculation of a valid depreciation expense value.
This ratio indicates whether a local government is replacing or renewing existing non-financial assets at the same rate that its overall asset stock is wearing out.
Standard is met if the ratio can be measured and is 90% (or 0.90) Standard is improving if this ratio is between 90% and 110% (or 0.90 and 1.10).
Means expenditure to renew or replace existing assets.
In other words, it is expenditure on an existing asset to return the service potential or the life of the asset up to that which it had originally. It is periodically required expenditure. As it reinstates existing service potential it may reduce operating and maintenance costs.
Has the meaning given in the AAS. Under AASB 116 paragraph 6, 'Depreciation is the systematic allocation of the depreciable amount of an asset over its useful life.'
In other words, depreciation represents the allocation of the value of an asset (its cost less its residual value) over its estimated useful life to the local government. Depreciation expense can be sourced from the audited annual financial report.
This ratio indicates whether the local government has the financial capacity to fund asset renewal as required, and can continue to provide existing levels of services in future, without additional operating income; or reductions in operating expenses. The ratio is calculated from information included in the local government's Long Term Financial Plan and Asset Management Plan; not the Annual Financial Report. For the ratio to be meaningful, a consistent discount rate should generally be applied in Net Present Value (NPV) calculations.
This ratio is a measure of the ability of a local government to fund its projected asset renewal / replacements in the future.
Standard is met if the ratio is between 75% and 95% (or 0.75 and 0.95). Standard is improving if the ratio is between 95% and 105% (or 0.95 and 1.05), and the ASR falls within the range 90% to 110%, and ACR falls within the range 50% to 75%.
Detailed calculations of each of the seven ratios are included in this section. The calculations are based on the extracts of financial information from annual financial statements or long-term and asset management plans included at section six (6) of this guideline.
View the download section for the ratio calculations file.
View the download section for the extracts of financial information file.