Guide to Council Rates

Council’s Rates Notices and Water and Sewerage Accounts have gone digital. If you would like to receive your notices via email, you can register for e-Billing via our e-Billing page.

If you are a mobile bank customer you can also sign up for BPAY View. BPAY View sends bills and statements straight to your online account and provides email, SMS and bank message reminders. Residents will be required to register with their financial institution to access this service.

Council is required to calculate general rates on the land value provided by the NSW Valuer General.  The land valuation is multiplied by the Rate in the $, if the amount falls below the Minimum Rate then the Minimum Rate applies.

The table below outlines the adopted rating structure for 2024/25.

2024/25 Rating Structure 

To calculate the Environment Levy, multiply the rate in the dollar by your land valuation, then add the amount of this calculation to the base amount.

Councils help local communities run smoothly. They administer various laws and regulations to help maintain and improve services and facilities for the community. These services include community services, sporting and recreation services, environmental planning, public health, environmental protection and waste collection, treatment and disposal. 

The rates you pay allow your council to fund these services.

NSW Office of Local Government Rates and Charges FAQs

There are some parcels of land that are exempt from rates and charges. These include parcels of land within a national park and land that belongs to, for example, a religious body or school.

Unless you meet the exemption criteria outlined in the Local Government Act, you cannot be exempt from paying rates.

To apply, complete and submit an Application for Exemption from Rates.

You can pay your rates in full by 31 August each year, or by quarterly instalments due on the 31 August, 30 November, 28 February and 31 May. If choose to pay by instalments, you can use the annual notice to pay your 1^st instalment and then you will receive reminder notices at least thirty (30) days before the due dates of the remaining instalments.

Yes you can and this also applies to any of the following instalments, however, you should be aware that any overdue instalment amounts will accrue daily interest charges calculated at the rate of 9% p.a. until they have been paid.

Are pensioners entitled to a rebate?

Generally speaking, you may be eligible for a rebate if you have been issued with a Pensioner Concession Card from Centrelink, The Department of Veterans Affairs or a Gold Card stamped with either EDA or TPI and you haven’t previously claimed. 

You must also own and reside at the property for which you are claiming. 

A new application is required for each property. Pension rebates do not follow when buying and selling properties. 

The ownership details that appear on your notice reflect the details that are registered against the title.

If the current details are incorrect you can go to https://www.nswlrs.com.au for further information.

Council must declare every parcel of rateable land in the Shire in one of four categories: Business, Farmland, Mining and Residential.

The category assigned to your property is shown on the front of your notice.

The Residential category applies to most properties in the Shire, even some land in rural areas.

The only properties that qualify for farmland rating are those that can prove the dominate use of the land is for conducting a farming business. Farmland businesses must have a significant purpose and character and must be engaged for the purpose of profit on a continuous or repetitive basis. In other words, just because you live in a rural area doesn't mean the category will automatically be classified as Farmland.

Rural residential holdings in a non-urban zoning are not categorised as Farmland. 

If you are not satisfied with the category given to your property, you may apply to Council to be reviewed. 

To apply, complete and submit an application for change of categorisation of land for rating purposes or application for categorisation of land as farmland rating.

No. The rating category assigned is for rating purposes only and has no significance on zoning or planning regulations.

A special rate known as the Environment Levy provides funding for environmental projects.

To calculate the Environment Levy on your property, multiply the rate in the dollar by your land valuation that appears in the top right hand corner of your notice, then add the amount of this calculation to the base amount. 

Your Rates Notice now includes more information about your Domestic Waste Management (DWM) service. Each DWM service charge reflects a three bin service for houses and a two bin service for units.

Your Rates Notice indicates:

• the service option provided, which is based on the size of the garbage bin (80L, 140L or 240L),
• the frequency of collection of the garbage bin (weekly or fortnightly),
• the number of services being charged, and
• any additional bins and upgrade options selected.

Stormwater management is a service to manage the quantity and/or quality of stormwater that flows off land. Stormwater charges are outlined in Council’s Revenue Policy and only affect residential and business properties located within an urban area (ie. town or village).

Vacant and non urban land is exempt from this charge.

Councils do not determine your land value for rating purposes. Land is valued by the Valuer General at Property NSW – Valuation Services under the Valuation of Land Act 1916 (as amended). These valuations are carried out approximately every three to four years and a Notice of Valuation will be sent to you to advise the land value that will be used in the calculation of your council rates.

For further information view the Valuer General Fact Sheet on Land Values and Council Rates(PDF, 788KB). 

If you do not agree with the valuation assigned to your land, you have 60 days to lodge an objection. For more information you can contact Valuation Services Customer Service Centre on 1800 110 038, or at valuationenquiry@property.nsw.gov.au.

Alternatively you can use the Property NSW Valuation Services Online Objection Facility to submit your objection. The last date to object to your value will be printed on the front of your Notice of Valuation. It is important to note that even if you lodge an objection, you must still pay your rates while your objection is being considered. Property NSW – Valuation Services will advise you in writing of the outcome of your objection.

If you still don’t agree with the valuation, you have limited time to appeal to the Land and Environment Court. The response sent by the Valuer General will explain the final date for an appeal.

A range of information is also available at: https://www.valuergeneral.nsw.gov.au/

By virtue of Section 574 of the Local Government Act 1993, if you feel your rates or charges are incorrect, you have the right to appeal to Council in writing within 30 day from the date of issue.

No GST is currently payable on land rates, domestic waste charges or water and sewerage charges.