• How To Pay Your Rates
• Rates & Charges in 2009/2010
• Pensioner Rate Rebates
• Change of Name
• Change of Postal Address
• Change of Property Ownership
• Postponed Rates
• Categorisation of Land
• Goods and Services Tax (GST)
• Commercial Waste Service
• Copies of Rate Notices
• Section 603 Certificates
• House Numbering

Rates & Charges in 2009/2010

The Minister for Local Government determined that NSW councils may increase their general income by not more than 3.5% above the general income for the 2009/2010 financial year.

How Your Rates Are Calculated

Calculation of Residential Rates

The following is an example of how rates will be calculated on a residential property with a land value of $220,000:

Residential Rate (Ad Valorem)* 0.00158365 x $220,000 = $348.40
*(Land Value multiplied by Rate in $)
Residential Rate (Base Charge) = $333.79
Residential Infrastructure Special Rates (Ad Valorem) 0.00020483 x $220,000 = $45.06
Standard Domestic Waste Service 140 Litre Bin = $243.65

Stormwater Residential Charge = $25

TOTAL = $995.90

Calculation of Business Rates

The following is an example of how rates will be calculated on a Business property with a land value of $250,000:
Business Rate (Ad Valorem)* 0.00449998 x $250,000 = $1,125
*(Land Value multiplied by Rate in $)
Business Infrastructure Special Rates (Ad Valorem) 0.00029529 x $250,000 = $73.82

Stormwater Business Charge = $25.00 (per 350 square metres – capped at $500)

TOTAL = $1,223.82

Calculation of Business Minimum Rates

The following is an example of how rates will be calculated on a Business property with a MINIMUM land value of $90,000:
Business MINIMUM rate = $721.03
(NOTE: $721.03 is levied on all BUSINESS properties with a Land Value of $160,230 or less)
Business Infrastructure Special Rate 0.00029529 x $90,000 = $ 26.58

Stormwater Business Charge = $25.00 (per 350 square metres – capped at $500)

TOTAL = $772.61

Residential and Business Infrastructure Special Rate

In 2007/08 Council resolved to implement a major long term infrastructure initiative titled the “20 Plus” Asset Management Plan Proposal.

The Proposal is a 20 year and beyond long term plan designed to help address the growing gap that has emerged between the funding required to effectively manage Council’s considerable portfolio of infrastructure assets and available funding.

To address the growing funding gap Council introduced in 2007/2008 a “Special Infrastructure Rate” on an ongoing basis, coupled with a Stormwater Levy. This is the third year in which these rates have been levied.

Infrastructure works include:

• Roads (Construction, replacement, repair & renewal)
• Kerb & Guttering (Construction, replacement, repair & renewal)
• Pavements/Footpaths (Construction, replacement, repair & renewal)
• Footpaths & Cycleways (Construction, replacement, repair & renewal)
• Buildings & Community facilities (Construction, replacement, repair & renewal)
• Drainage & Flood Mitigation Works (Construction, replacement, repair & renewal)
• Bridges (Construction, replacement, repair & renewal)

Mixed Development Rating

In general, Mixed Development rating allows for a property to receive a combination of Residential and Business rates (providing a form of rating relief, in most cases) due to the property having dual usage. For example, a residential property may also double as a preschool, or doctor’s surgery, or solicitor’s office, etc. Therefore, the residential and business rates will be levied, according to the proportion that each usage has to the whole of the property.

Previously, Mixed Development land was categorised according to its dominant use. Therefore, if a property was used for dual purposes of (for example) a residence and a preschool, and the pre-school was determined to be the dominant use, the property would have been categorised and rated as BUSINESS.

The Local Government Act, 1993 was amended during 1997, by the Local Government Amendment Act 1997, which provided for Mixed Development rating and took effect from 1 July 1997.

The amendment allows a parcel of land occupied, or used solely as one building comprising a residence and a business, to be considered for Mixed Development rating, if it can be separately occupied for both business and residential purposes. If it is not currently occupied, or used; it must be constructed, or adapted, or designed, so that it can be separately occupied for both residential or business purposes.

The Valuer General’s Department supplies Council with a Mixed Development Apportionment Factor (MDAF), for land subject to Mixed Development rating. The MDAF is determined by calculating the proportion that the rental value of the business part, bears to the rental value of the land as a whole. The result is expressed as a percentage.

Rates and charges are apportioned according to the MDAF. If, for example, a parcel of mixed development land has an MDAF of 60%, rates and charges would be apportioned as: Residential 40% and Business 60%.