As rates notices arrive for the new financial year, the fee at the top of the page might have seen a significant change. This is your Council rates, which is directly related to your property value.
This year, Council rates have gone up by 3.7% overall, which is the increase allowed by the NSW Government. However, your rates figure may have changed by more or less than that.
Every three years, the NSW Government Valuer General reviews all properties in the state. Earlier this year, ratepayers would have received a new valuation for their land. In some cases it may have changed by a lot depending on where your property is in the shire, with some areas seeing a big increase.
This impacts the amount you will be charged for Council rates, as it is calculated as a percentage of land value. So, higher property values will mean higher rates.
When valuing land, the Valuer General considers factors such as recent property sales, land use, zoning and restrictions, location, size, and nearby development. They want to make sure the valuation reflects the property’s worth accurately.
Land value is also used to calculate land tax where it applies.
The rates notice also includes other charges and levies for specific services. These charges cover things like the environment, water access, sewer access, waste and stormwater, and water usage.
Council’s most recent community survey showed there is an expectation that Council should invest more in roads, bridges and critical and essential services.
This includes several projects like:
- Continued multi-million-dollar investment in maintaining and improving the shire’s road network,
- Significant investment in implementation of Council’s Waste Masterplan,
- Progression of major water and sewer infrastructure projects,
- Horseshoe Bay headland carpark and walkway as part of the masterplan implementation.
