Local Authority Statistics: March 2010 quarter

Seasonally adjusted local authority statistics for the March 2010 quarter compared with the December 2009 quarter show that:

• Local authorities recorded an operating deficit of $63 million.
  
• Operating revenue decreased 2.3 percent to $1.7 billion, driven by falls in investment income and sales of goods and services.
  
• Operating expenditure remained unchanged at $1.8 billion, driven by a fall in employee costs and a rise in depreciation.

The actual (not seasonally adjusted) deficit is $24 million.