Why do you pay rates?
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.
How do we calculate rates and charges?
Each council is required to determine the combination of rates, charges, fees and pricing policies needed to fund the services it provides to the community by producing a Revenue Policy which contains a rating structure that determines which rates and charges you will have to pay and how they will be calculated.
To calculate the ordinary rates to be paid for each property, Council uses the following method:
- Base amount + (individual unimproved land value x ad valorem rate) = rates charge ($)
The total amount of income that Council can raise from certain rates and charges is limited by an annual rate peg percentage set by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART).
Land valuations
The Valuer General is the independent statutory authority responsible for the overall management of the valuation system and for ensuring the integrity of land valuations. In Albury, land revaluations generally occur every three years.
Albury ratepayers will receive Notice of Valuation from the Valuer General with their updated land valuations. Council uses the updated valuations to calculate the rates from July 1 of the next financial year.
It’s important to note that the percentage increase or decrease in your land value does not automatically translate into an equivalent increase or decrease in your rates. Council’s overall rates revenue cannot increase by more than the rate peg percentage set by IPART.
If you do not agree with the land value of your property you can request a review by the Valuer General.
Have your say on Council's Revenue Policy
Each year Council prepares a draft management policy known as the Revenue Policy around April or May for the following financial year and places it on public exhibition for comment.
Council must consider any submissions by the public before adopting the plan. This is your opportunity to raise any issues about the rates and charges for the following year. Once the rates and charges have been adopted for a particular year, they cannot be changed until the next year.