Rates, and Water and Sewer charges help Council fund the maintenance of essential infrastructure that you rely on every day.
Payment options
You now pay your rates and charges with the following methods:
- Direct debit facility on a weekly, fortnightly, monthly, quarterly or annual basis.
Click here to fill out your details on the form to commence. - Pay online using Australia Post’s online facility.
- Pay using BPay. Use your financial institution’s phone banking or internet banking service and refer to your notice for BPay reference numbers.
You can also register an email address and ‘opt In’ to receive rates and water notices electronically.
Pensioner concessions
Council offers rebates for pensioners of up to $250 on your rates account. You may also be eligible to receive up to $87.50 on your annual water charges and up to $87.50 off your annual sewerage charges, if they are provided by Council.
To be eligible for the rebate you must hold a PCC (Pensioner Concession Card), a gold card embossed with ‘TPI’ (Totally Permanently Incapacitated), ‘EDA’ (Extreme Disablement Adjustment).
Financial hardship
Council has special financial hardship policies in place to support those who have difficulty paying their rates.
If you are experiencing difficulty in paying rates or charges, please contact Council to discuss a possible payment arrangement or make an application under Council’s Financial Hardship Policy.
Benefits of the financial hardship policy can include:
- Interest not being charged on arrears for a set period of time
- Write-off interest on rates and charges already incurred either in full or part
- Enter into an arrangement for payment of outstanding rates and/or charges
Additional support options
A number of free NSW Government and not-for-profit services are available to support NSW residents experiencing financial difficulty, including helping them talk to others, such as councils about it. These include:
- National Debt Helpline – 1800 007 007
- Rural Financial Counselling Service – 1800 344 090
- Lismore & District Financial Counselling Service – 02 6622 2171
- Northern Rivers Community Legal Centre – 02 6621 1000
- LawAccess NSW line – 1300 888 529
Financial hardship – natural disaster
In December 2019 Council introduced a new policy for residents impacted by formally declared natural disasters, which can include bushfires, droughts and floods.
Council will grant financial relief by deferring the due date for payment of rates and charges in a given financial year, allowing the ratepayer/property owners the subsequent two years to pay the outstanding rates and charges off via a payment plan.
How your rates are calculated
The Valuer-General is responsible for overseeing the valuation of land in NSW, and revaluations on land are conducted every three years.
Property sales are the most important factor considered by valuers when determining land values as at 1 July in the year of valuation.
These land values are in turn used by Council to calculate and distribute rates.
It’s important to note that while Council uses the land values provided by the Valuer-General to calculate rate charges, it does not play a role in deciding on land values.
For a guide to the valuation process, or to challenge your valuation visit the NSW Valuer General page here: https://www.valuergeneral.nsw.gov.au/land_values/what_if_you_have_concerns/lodge_an_objection