Local Authorities Record Surplus

Local Authority Statistics: March 2002 quarter

Local Authorities Record Surplus

Local authorities recorded a $53.3 million seasonally adjusted operating surplus in the March 2002 quarter, according to Statistics New Zealand. The latest quarterly local authority survey showed total operating revenue of $989.3 million for the quarter exceeded total operating expenditure of $935.9 million. The March 2002 surplus of $53.3 million was $18.0 million higher than the $35.3 million surplus recorded in the December 2001 quarter. The surplus resulted from a 2.1 percent (or $20.1 million) increase in total revenue and a 0.2 percent (or $2.0 million) increase in expenditure.

During the latest quarter, purchases of goods and services, grants, donations and all other expenditure decreased 1.4 percent (or $6.8 million). Offsetting this fall were increases in interest paid (up 3.8 percent) and depreciation (up 4.0 percent). Employee costs, at $224.0 million, remained virtually unchanged from the previous quarter.

Operating revenue for the March 2002 quarter was $989.3 million, an increase of 2.1 percent compared with the December 2001 result. Revenue from rates, petrol tax, licence fees and fines increased 0.7 percent (or $4.3 million) to $622.9 million. Government grants and subsidies paid to local authorities increased 5.7 percent (or $5.7 million) to $105.1 million during the latest quarter, while sales of goods and services and all other income increased $17.5 million to $199.5 million. Offsetting these rises was a $7.3 million decline in investment income.

Results from the Local Authority Census are now available for the year ended June 2001. Local authorities recorded annual revenue of $3,847.0 million and annual expenditure of $3,620.3 million, resulting in an annual surplus of $226.7 million. Annual revenue showed increases in rates (up $92.4 million), sales and other income (up $27.7 million), and fees and fines (up $15.0 million). Offsetting these were lower investment income (down $33.6 million), grants, subsidies and levies (down $4.1 million), and petrol tax (down $0.1 million). Annual expenditure showed increases in purchases and other expenses (up $94.5 million), depreciation (up $14.8 million), and employee costs (up $10.2 million), while expenditure on interest paid declined $7.8 million compared with the previous year.

Brian Pink Government Statistician END

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