Have your say on a proposed special rate to support a safer, more reliable and sustainable stormwater service.
What you told us
During consultation for the Community Strategic Plan and 2025–2029 Delivery Program, our community identified stormwater drainage as an area where improvement was needed.
The 2025 Community Research confirmed a clear gap between the importance residents place on stormwater and satisfaction with the current service.
Council then prioritised a service review and found that the current funding allows us to respond to immediate issues, but the service remains largely reactive
.Limited inspection coverage, recurring problems, ageing assets and constrained funding make it difficult to move to planned maintenance and address underlying issues before failures occur.
The proposed special rate would help Council begin a staged shift to a more planned, preventative and risk-based stormwater service.
The Stormwater Management Annual Charge raises about $209,000 each year. Residential properties pay a fixed charge of $25 annually, while business charges are based on land area.
The NSW Government cap on this charge has not been reviewed or indexed since it began more than 20 years ago, despite rising construction, material and wage costs and ongoing advocacy to the NSW Government by Councils across NSW.
Without additional ongoing funding, Council would need to continue funding priority stormwater drainage works from general revenue or through borrowing, reducing its capacity to fund other Council services and infrastructure, or limit the amount of stormwater renewal and improvement work it can undertake.
What is being proposed?
Council would apply to the NSW Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) for a Special Rate Variation to replace the existing Stormwater Management Annual Charge.
The proposed rate would apply to urban properties that have access to, benefit from, or contribute to Council’s stormwater network.
The proposal would be introduced over four years, starting with a minimum annual charge of $85 and increasing to $100 by the fourth year.
If approved, the additional funding would raise about $708,000 in its first year, increasing over four years to provide about $843,000 a year to support the maintenance, renewal and improvement of Council’s stormwater network.
Like other Council rates, the stormwater special rate would become part of Council’s ongoing rate base and would increase in line with future annual rate pegs.
How does this impact you?
You would only be impacted if your current rates notice has a Stormwater Charge on it. The special rate will replace this existing charge.
The average residential ratepayer would pay an estimated $82.02 a year, while the average business would pay $68.85 less. Rural residential and farmland properties would continue to not pay the new stormwater Special Rate as they do not benefit from stormwater drainage infrastructure.
We have developed a calculator that will help you determine the proposed increase to your rates. If your property is impacted, use the slider below to select your land’s unimproved capital value to see new charge.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What is a Special Rate Variation?
A Special Rate Variation, or SRV, is approval from IPART for Council to increase its general income above the annual cap (rate peg) set by the NSW Government.
Councils apply for an SRV when their existing income is not enough to maintain services and infrastructure, meet community needs, or cover costs transferred from other levels of government. An SRV is the only means available for Council to increase its general revenues beyond the annual cap.
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How is the new special rate calculated?
The new special rate would be based on land value, subject to a minimum charge.
Council would calculate the land value amount using the ad valorem and compare it with the minimum charge.
The ratepayer would pay whichever amount is higher.
Council would prefer a set charge of $85 but the Local Government Act 1993 does not allow it.
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What is an ad valorem?
Ad valorem – the literal Latin meaning is ‘according to the value’.
It is often expressed as ‘rate in the dollar’ and is multiplied by the official land valuation of a property to determine the yearly ordinary property rates.
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Where can I find my land value?
Your land value is shown on your Council rates notice and on valuation notices issued by the NSW Valuer General.[IJ6.1]
The NSW Government also have a tool available to find out your properties land value at: https://www.nsw.gov.au/housing-and-construction/land-values-nsw/how-to-find-land-values-nsw
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Why is the existing Stormwater Management Annual Charge capped?
The NSW Stormwater Management Service Charge has been capped at $25 per residential property since it was introduced in 2006.
This cap is set by the Local Government Regulation.
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Where would the extra funding be used?
The additional funding would be used for stormwater and drainage services.
This includes renewing infrastructure, inspecting the network, using CCTV to assess pipes, cleaning drains, carrying out proactive maintenance, and planning future upgrades.
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What will happen if Council doesn’t apply for an SRV?
If Council does not apply for an SRV, the stormwater program would continue to rely on general revenue.
This would limit Council’s ability to improve inspections, preventative maintenance and asset renewal.
It means we would need to stop some existing services to fund stormwater management.
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What happens next?
Initial community feedback will be reported to Council at the November 2026 meeting before Council decides whether to notify IPART of its intention to apply for an SRV.
Applications to IPART are due in February 2027.
Council will review feedback before deciding whether to proceed with an application to IPART. IPART may approve, partially approve or refuse an application.
Have Your Say
No final decision has been made.
Council wants to understand whether the community supports greater long-term investment in stormwater, how the proposed change may affect households and businesses, and what matters most to residents.
Provide feedback on Council’s proposal by 4 November 2026. You can make submissions by:
- Post to: – Locked Bag 10 Casino NSW 2470
- Email: – council@richmondvalley.nsw.gov.au
- Hand delivery: – at either of Council’s Customer Service Centres in Casino and Evans Head.
- Online submission through the form below.
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Click here to make a submission on the website
Council Submissions Form
Form to make a submission to Council.