Rates & charges explained
We manage an income of $114 million (including capital grants & contributions). Rates and annual charges make up 64% of that income.
We use land values to distribute rates across the local government area and this is done by using a combination of the land value of the property and a fixed amount per property.
The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) caps the income councils can make from rates in a process called rate pegging. Councils must ensure the total income from rates does not grow by above the amount set by IPART, even if land values rise.
Land values for rating purposes are supplied by the Valuer General’s Office every 3 to 4 years.
A Notice of Valuation shows the land value of a property, based on property market conditions. It gives landholders the opportunity to consider their land value before it is used by Council.
Landholders wanting to know more about their land value (or if you believe your land value has been calculated incorrectly), should call the office of the Valuer General, Department of Lands on 1800 110 038, or visit the Valuer General’s website.
We consider the categorisation of land and the land value of your property to calculate rates, then we apply a domestic waste charge and emergency services levy.
We decide which category your property should be based on, according to its characteristics and use. See below:
Category | ||
Ordinary Rate Category | Ad Valorem in $ | Minimum |
---|---|---|
Ordinary Residential |
0.00540259 |
$764.91 |
Farmland | 0.00413088 | $1,399.93 |
Mining | 0.00960725 | $1,399.93 |
Business | 0.00960725 | $1,399.93 |
The total rates and charges payable by ratepayers is:
Land value x Ad Valorem rate = Ordinary rates + charges
Therefore, in addition to ordinary rates, we also apply a Domestic Waste Service Charge and a Local Emergency Management Charge (LEMC).
See Rates & Charges explained, for more information
To find out more about land valuation, download the Land valuation FAQ here.
In 2015 we implemented a special rate variation. The variation lets us:
The annual increases were 6.6% in 2015-16 (including 2.4% rate peg) followed by a 9.6% increase for 3 consecutive years to 2018-19. The increase in income from the variation will be $30.4 million.