Annual Report 2014

The above breakdown in operating revenue confirms that Council has significant control over the
majority of its income sources, and as a result is not overly reliant on other levels of government or
external agencies to maintain its financial independence. Key Council revenue sources include:
   Rates and utility charges include general rates, charges for waste collection and disposal,
    special rates such as the tourism and transport levy, and other separate and special rates.
    Growth in rateable properties for the period was negligible.
   Fees and charges include a range of regulatory fees and charges and revenue from
    commercial operations such as the holiday parks and waste operations.
   Interest revenue includes the return from the investment of surplus funds.
   Revenue from Unitywater relates to the return on Shareholder Participation loans.


Operating expenditure – where the money goes
Council expended a total of $44.2 million in undertaking operating activities for the six month
period ($39.3 million excluding one-off items). The following graph shows a breakdown by
expenditure type for normal recurrent Council operations.
Figure 13 – Operating expenses by function 2013/14


                     Depreciation
                        20%



                                                              Employee
        Finance & Other
                                                               Benefits
             Costs
                                                                34%
              3%




             Materials &
              Services
               43%



Key performance statistics from the 6 month period include:
   Employee benefits - includes staff wages, superannuation, fees paid to Councillors and other
    employment costs. The total costs in the Statement of Comprehensive Income for the year
    included $4.83 million in costs associated with the restructure of the organisation that will not
    be recurrent.
   Depreciation expenditure records the consumption of community infrastructure assets over
    their respective useful lives, and provides an indication of the level of required expenditure on
    rehabilitation and renewal of existing assets annually.




Noosa Council Report 2014                                                               Page 19 of 24