Pilbara councils rank high in financial health

Pilbara local governments have ranked highly in the Financial Health Indicator test, according to a new State Government website which provides ratepayers with access to local government data.

A Financial Health Indicator score is out of 100 and measures a council’s economic strength — a council with a score of 70 and above is considered to have sound financial health.

The Shire of Ashburton has scored 96 out of 100 in 2014/15, which is one point above the Shire of East Pilbara, two points above the Town of Port Hedland and eight points above the City of Karratha.

All four Pilbara local governments’ Financial Health scores have ranked well above the regional average of 73 and State average of 75.

WA ratepayers can now view their local council’s financial health and performance via the new MyCouncil website.

The website gives people access to detailed information about their local council’s geographic, demographic and financial state, and reveal how they are spending, managing and raising money.

MyCouncil is a State Government initiative which aims at strengthening accountability and performance of local governments.

North West Central MLA Vince Catania said he welcomed the new initiative which allows ratepayers and residents to see how their local government operates with the click of a button.

“We want local governments to be open and transparent when it comes to spending ratepayers’ money,” he said.

“The website presents financial data visually, making it easier to interpret and make assessments about council performance and improve awareness of each local government's financial health.”

Ratepayers can view their council’s expenditure and compare them to other local governments around the State.

“Comparisons with other councils will enable local governments to identify areas for continuous improvement,” Mr Catania said.

In 2014/15, the Town of Port Hedland spent 39.16 per cent of their budget on recreation and culture and 13.68 percent on transport.

In comparison, the Shire of east Pilbara spent almost half their budget on transport and less than 20 per cent on recreation and culture.

The public can use this data to be informed on where their rates are going and whether local councils are providing value for money.

Chamber of Minerals and Energy chief executive Reg Howard-Smith welcomed the MyCouncil website, adding it was critical local governments look internally to improve efficiency rather than continually increasing the revenue stream from ratepayers.

Data and information on the MyCouncil website will be updated annually in the first quarter of the calendar year.

To view your local government’s financial health, expenditure and rate growth, head to mycouncil.wa.gov.au .