Enhancing Financial Planning Accuracy and Efficiency
Results Snapshot
Client: Wellington Shire Council
Location: Gippsland Region, Victoria
Population: Over 46,000 residents
Area: 10,817 square kilometres
Sector: Local Government
Solutions: Long-Term Financial Plan (LTFP) and Capital Works Evaluator (CWE)
- LTFP and CWE fully implemented and integrated
- Annual rollover and reporting streamlined
- Manual data manipulation reduced by 80%
- Enhanced visibility across financial data flows
- Improved accuracy and decision-making efficiency
Overview
Wellington Shire Council, located in Victoria’s Gippsland region, manages an expansive municipality of over 46,000 residents. Prior to implementing CT Management Group’s financial solutions, Council relied on a large, complex Excel workbook that required constant maintenance. The process was resource-intensive, created data risks, and limited visibility across the organisation. CT Management Group was engaged to deliver a solution that simplified financial planning, improved data accuracy, and provided greater transparency across capital works forecasting.
The Challenge
Wellington Shire Council’s legacy financial model was heavily manual, prone to formula errors, and understood by only a few key staff – creating succession and continuity risks.
The lack of automation made it difficult to perform scenario testing, annual rollovers, or detailed financial analysis without significant time investment.
The Council required a robust, user-friendly, and sustainable model that would:
- Eliminate manual reconciliations and formula risks.
- Enable annual rollover and data updates directly from audited accounts.
- Provide organisation-wide visibility into financial transactions and outcomes.
Integrate with the 10-year capital works program to inform long-term investment planning.
Our Solution
CT Management Group implemented two complementary financial tools:
- Long-Term Financial Plan (LTFP) – An Excel-based platform with built-in data validation, balance checks, and structured transparency for all financial flows. The model allows Council to test financial scenarios efficiently, improve accuracy, and strengthen compliance.
- Capital Works Evaluator (CWE) – An intuitive, single-click integration tool that connects the 10-year capital works program directly to the LTFP. It allows multiple departments to input project data simultaneously, reducing duplication and increasing consistency.
The solutions were fully customised to Council’s operational needs and supported by hands-on onboarding, staff training, and ongoing technical assistance.
The Outcomes
The introduction of the LTFP and CWE significantly improved Wellington Shire Council’s financial efficiency and planning capability:
- Reduced Maintenance and Error Risk: Eliminated complex formula errors and manual balancing.
- Streamlined Annual Rollover: Pre-filled updates directly from annual financial statements.
- Faster Scenario Testing: Rapid data updates for multiple long-term financial and investment scenarios.
- Improved Transparency: Clear formula visibility and workflow tracking from input to final output.
- Integrated Capital Planning: Seamless link between capital works and long-term financial forecasting.
These improvements have empowered staff to focus more on strategic decision-making and less on data management.
Testimonial
“With CT’s Long-Term Financial Plan, we’ve significantly reduced the time spent on error checking and data corrections. The system’s built-in validation and balance checks ensure accuracy and give us greater confidence in our results.”
— Peta Crawford, Coordinator Accounting & Payroll, Wellington Shire Council