Performance of 5 Small Rural Councils Compared
Published on 12 July 2024
According to a recent analysis comparing several similar small rural councils, Mansfield Shire Council has performed above average in several key areas related to its service and financial performance.
The analysis focuses on various performance indicators, such as:
- satisfaction with community consultation and engagement
- statutory planning
- asset renewal
- efficiency
Together, the indicators can be used to benchmark Council’s organisational health and how well it is achieving its strategic plans. By comparing to similarly sized rural councils, the indicators provide valuable insights to help develop future strategies and identify opportunities.
Mansfield Shire Council scored better than most of the comparison councils on service indicators. In particular, Mansfield Shire performed much better in making timely decisions on planning applications.
The scores showed an opportunity to improve in diverting waste from landfill, as Councils that have already introduced a green waste service performed better in this area. Council is already taking action in this area, with the new green bin collection service going into operation this month in urban areas and townships. This will allow food organics and garden organics (FOGO) to be diverted from landfill and processed separately. This new service is expected to reduce waste going to landfill by 30% in the serviced areas.
Council also performed well on financial indicators, in particular the efficiency measure. Mansfield Shire’s expenditure level per ratepaying property was the lowest of all assessed councils, meaning ratepayer’s money is being used more efficiently. This follows a strong focus on containing costs and bringing services in-house where they can be delivered more cost-effectively.
The analysis showed Council’s liquidity to be in a solid position, meaning it holds adequate cash in bank to fund its current liability commitments. Council’s liquidity was well above its target and higher than most other councils.
Mayor Cr Steve Rabie said the analysis gave a good insight into Council’s performance.
“These results are a great example of why benchmarking is so important,” he said.
“It gives us a few areas to focus on improving, such as diverting waste from landfill through introduction of the new green bin.
“It also shows that we are in a solid position financially and that we’re doing well across several areas we know our community cares about,” said Cr Rabie.
“We know that every dollar counts when it comes to ratepayers’ money.”
