Rates and charges explained

Council provides many services which rates help to fund. Examples include maintaining and upgrading local roads, community halls, and sporting facilities, as well as our parks and gardens and public spaces. Council is also required to exercise a range of regulatory functions, including town planning, environmental health and ranger/companion animal services, which rates help to fund. Rates are the way our community contributes to funding these services.

All local councils in New South Wales are required to develop and adopt a Revenue Policy setting out the rates and charges that each ratepayer within the council's local government area will have to pay during a specific financial year, and how those rates and charges will be calculated. Rates are based on the land value and category of your property, but may also include a minimum or fixed amount per category. The land value is determined by the Property NSW-Valuer General.

Council does not determine the land value of your property. Land is valued by NSW Land Registry Services.

There are four categories for rating purposes:

• Residential
• Business
• Farmland 
• Mining

Most people are charged ordinary rates under the residential category. If you are not satisfied with the category given to your property, you can apply to Council for a review or appeal to the Land and Environment Court.

Council prepares a draft Operational Plan & Budget each year, which is placed on public exhibition prior to adoption. The draft Operational Plan & Budget contains the Revenue Policy for the following financial year, which sets out the rates and charges to be levied. Members of the community are encouraged to review and provide feedback and submissions on the draft Operational Plan & Budget prior to adoption.

The NSW Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) sets a limit onthe total amount of income local councils can raise from certain rates and charges. This is called the rate-peg percentage and it is specified by the Minister for Local Government each year. Within rate pegging, rates on some properties may go up while others may go down. Further information on the rate peg is available from the IPART website.

Yes. The Local Government Act 1993 requires local councils to levy an annual charge for providing domestic waste management service on all rateable land, whether or not the service is actually used.

You may be eligible for a concession if you receive a pension from either Centrelink or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, and have a pensioner concession card (PCC). You may be entitled to, for example, a rebate of up to $250 on your rates. You must complete and submit a Pensioner Concession Rebate Application to Council to receive a concession.

You may be eligible for a concession on the grounds of hardship. Council may also be able to help you by agreeing to alternative payment plans or writing of interest on unpaid rates.