Restricted Cash Policy

The purpose of the Restricted Cash Policy is meant to help the community understand how much cash Council has, to make sure Council follows the applicable guidelines about reporting money that’s restricted for specific purposes and to ensure that any other limits placed on how the Council uses its cash are formally approved.

A detailed understanding of restricted and unrestricted cash holdings is critical to ensure that Council can measure its liquidity and make the necessary investment decisions to remain financially sustainable.

Background: On 17 April 2025, Council Resolution No. 2025/69, directed "Cash equivalent to the depreciation expense, less the asset renewal expenditure each year, be quarantined as an internal restriction."

This resolution was originally adopted referring to Council's airport business unit only; however, Council resolved further as part of Resolution No. 2025/205 on 27 November 2025 that this same treatment apply to the other three business units reflected in Council's Special Purpose Financial Statements (SPFS) - Electricity, Norfolk Telecom and Waste Management.

The policy, with the above amendments, was presented again to ARIC on 12 February 2026 where it was endorsed to Council with a positive recommendation.