Wanneroo suppliers face $5.5m underspend as electricity costs run over budget

City of Wanneroo suppliers and contractors were paid $5.5 million less than budgeted in 2025/26, while electricity costs for community buildings and irrigated parks ran $600,000 over budget.

Materials and contracts expenditure totalled $100 million, compared with a revised budget of $105.5 million. The largest saving was in contract expenses, which were $1.3 million below budget.

That included $1 million linked to lower-than-budgeted green-waste bin collection volumes, $200,000 in land-acquisition contract savings and $100,000 in lower local-government election contract costs.

Consulting expenditure was also $1.3 million below budget, reflecting lower spending on tree-data analysis, traffic and transport network consulting, community-facility planning consultations and the timing of other consulting projects.

Refuse-removal costs were $1.1 million below budget, primarily because domestic general-waste tonnages were lower than expected. Software maintenance, support and licence costs were $600,000 lower, while maintenance expenses were $300,000 below budget.

The City spent $600,000 less on general materials, including $400,000 in savings on turf fertiliser application and pest-management costs. Advertising expenses were $200,000 below budget.

Utility charges went the other way, reaching $11.9 million against a revised budget of $11.3 million. The $600,000 overrun was mainly attributed to higher electricity expenses across the City, including community buildings and irrigated parks.

The financial results also recorded employee costs $5 million above budget, depreciation $1.6 million higher and losses on asset disposals $600,000 above budget. Depreciation was a non-cash expense and did not affect the reported surplus or deficit.

Excluding profits and losses on asset disposals, the operating deficit at the end of June was $6.5 million, compared with a revised budget deficit of $18 million. The results were draft and subject to final year-end adjustments during compilation and audit of the annual financial statements.