Embargoed until 10:45am – 16 December 2008

Local authorities’ operating revenue increases

Local authorities’ seasonally adjusted operating revenue increased 2.3 percent for the September 2008 quarter, Statistics New Zealand said today, following a 0.9 percent decline in the June 2008 quarter.

Total seasonally adjusted operating revenue for the September 2008 quarter was $1,604.2 million, up $35.4 million compared with the June 2008 quarter. The increase was mainly due to increases in income from rates, which is not seasonally adjusted (up $44.0 million or 4.9 percent), government grants and subsidies (up $19.2 million or 9.4 percent), and regulatory income and petrol tax (up $1.6 million or 1.5 percent). This was partly offset by decreases in investment income (down $16.6 million or 21.3 percent) and sales of goods and services and all other income (down $12.7 million or 4.4 percent).

Total seasonally adjusted operating expenditure increased 2.0 percent for the September 2008 quarter.

Total expenditure for the September 2008 quarter was $1,590.1 million, up $31.2 million compared with the June 2008 quarter. Increases in purchases of goods and services, grants and donations, and all other expenditure (up $12.9 million) and employee costs (up $7.7 million) were the major contributors towards this increase.

Local authorities recorded a $14.1 million seasonally adjusted surplus in operating revenue over operating expenditure in the September 2008 quarter, which was up $4.2 million compared with the June 2008 quarter and up $4.4 million compared with the September 2007 quarter.

Geoff Bascand
Government Statistician
16 December 2008

ENDS

See also the Hot Off The Press information release Local Authority Statistics: September 2008 quarter [PDF].

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