The information in this Hot Off The Press is based on data from the Quarterly Local Authority Survey. Information for the latest seven quarters is provisional until the publication of the results from the annual Local Authority Census. Results from the annual Local Authority Census for year ended June 2008 will be incorporated in our next release.
While rates, dividends, and depreciation are not seasonally adjusted, all other quarterly results are seasonally adjusted unless otherwise stated. Annual results are also not seasonally adjusted. Revenue and expenditure exclude non-operating and extraordinary transactions.
Quarterly operating results
Local authorities recorded a $42.8 million surplus in operating revenue over operating expenditure in the March 2009 quarter. This was down $8.2 million compared with the December 2008 quarter surplus and down $14.1 million compared with the March 2008 quarter surplus.
Quarterly operating revenue
Total seasonally adjusted operating revenue for the March 2009 quarter was $1,690.7 million, up $1.0 million (0.1 percent) compared with the December 2008 quarter.
Increases were recorded in rates (up $17.7 million or 1.8 percent), sales of goods and services and all other income (up $3.7 million or 1.3 percent) and government grants and subsidies (up $0.8 million or 0.3 percent) compared with the December 2008 quarter. Investment income (down $20.0 million or 21.6 percent) and regulatory income and petrol tax (down 1.2 million or 1.2 percent) decreased compared with the December 2008 quarter.
Total seasonally adjusted operating revenue increased by $108.8 million (or 6.9 percent) between the March 2008 and March 2009 quarters. This increase was mainly due to increases in rates (up $75.9 million or 8.4 percent) and government grants and subsidies (up $39.5 million or 19.0 percent). Regulatory income and petrol tax was down $5.9 million (5.4 percent) and investment income was down $0.7 million (0.9 percent). Sales of goods and services and all other income marginally decreased $0.1 million.
Rates
Income from rates in the March 2009 quarter was $980.5 million, up $17.7 million (or 1.8 percent) compared with the December 2008 quarter. Rates in the March 2009 quarter increased $75.9 million (or 8.4 percent) compared with the same quarter in 2008. Revenue from rates is not seasonally adjusted.
Regulatory income and petrol tax
Regulatory income and petrol tax decreased by $1.2 million to $105.1 million in the March 2009 quarter, from $106.3 million in the December 2008 quarter. Regulatory income and petrol tax decreased $5.9 million (or 5.4 percent) compared with the March 2008 quarter. Regulatory income includes income from building consents which are declining. For more information, please see the Building Consents Issued: March 2009 release.
Quarterly operating expenditure
Total seasonally adjusted operating expenditure in the March 2009 quarter was $1,648.0 million, up $9.2 million (0.6 percent) compared with the December 2008 quarter. The increase was mainly due to an increase in depreciation (up $5.1 million or 1.5 percent) and purchases of goods and services, grants and donations, and all other expenditure (up $4.8 million or 0.6 percent). Employee costs and interest paid were relatively flat compared with the December 2008 quarter. Depreciation is not seasonally adjusted.
Total seasonally adjusted operating expenditure in the March 2009 quarter increased by $123.0 million (8.1 percent) compared with the same quarter in 2008. The increase can be attributed to increases across all expenditure categories.
For technical information contact:
Nalin Patel
Wellington 04 931 4600
Email: info@stats.govt.nz
Next release ...
Local Authority Statistics: June 2009 quarter will be released on 16 September 2009.