Transforming Long-Term Financial Planning Through Data-Driven Insight
Results Snapshot
Client: Golden Plains Shire Council
Location: Central Western Victoria
Population: 26,520 (projected 60% growth over 16 years)
Sector: Local Government
Solution: Long-Term Financial Planning
- 20-year forecasting model built to Audit Office standards
- Capital Works integration automated
- Full compliance with Australian Accounting Standards
- Staff training and mentoring delivered for long-term capability
Overview
Golden Plains Shire Council, located in the heart of Victoria’s Golden Plains region, is one of the fastest-growing municipalities in the state. With a projected 60% population increase over the next 16 years, the Council required a long-term financial planning framework that could support sustainable growth while maintaining service delivery and infrastructure investment.
The Challenge
The Challenge
Golden Plains Shire Council had been operating with a 5–10-year financial model that relied heavily on manual data manipulation. Financial statements and asset movements required manual reconciliation, creating inefficiencies, duplication, and increased risk of error.
Additionally, the existing model lacked integration with the Council’s capital works program, limiting its ability to produce accurate long-term forecasts and scenario testing for executive decision-making.
The Council needed a smarter, more connected solution that aligned with Local Government Department and Audit Office requirements and could deliver insights at the executive level.
Our Solution
CT Management Group implemented its Excel-based Long-Term Financial Plan (LTFP) – a powerful, intuitive, and adaptable tool that integrates asset, financial, and service data into a single, dynamic framework.
The solution included:
- Seamless integration of Capital Works Estimates, automatically updating asset movements and financial statements.
- One-to-one onboarding and training, ensuring internal teams were equipped to use, maintain, and adapt the model.
- Ongoing support and mentoring from CT Management Group to embed financial capability within the organisation.
This provided Golden Plains Shire Council with the tools to model complex financial scenarios, test assumptions, and make confident, evidence-based decisions.
The Outcomes
By adopting CT Management Group’s Long-Term Financial Plan, Golden Plains Shire Council achieved measurable improvements across financial performance and planning:
- Rapid scenario modelling for rates, charges, borrowings, and capital investment.
- Improved accuracy and efficiency in financial forecasting and sustainability reporting.
- Enhanced compliance with statutory and audit requirements.
- Greater transparency and communication of financial strategy to stakeholders and the community.
With a robust 10–20-year outlook, the LTFP now serves as a central decision-making solution that supports council officers, executive leaders, and elected members in shaping a financially sustainable future.
Testimonial
“CT Management Group’s LTFP provided a clear, structured and efficient approach to long-term financial planning. The integration of capital works and asset data has streamlined our financial management process and improved our ability to make confident, forward-looking decisions.”
— Asanka Jayakody, Coordinator Finance, Golden Plains Shire Council