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Understanding Rates and Charges
 

How to read your Notice

We've put together a sample to explain the information shown on your Rates and Charges Notice. 

Find out more about the charges listed on your Notice below.
 

Rates

Your rates are calculated based on the land value of your property issued by the NSW Valuer-General, with low value properties subject to a minimum rate amount. This ensures each ratepayer contributes a fair share towards community services. The total amount of rates Council collects from ratepayers is limited (capped) by the NSW Government.

  • House owners generally pay much higher council rates than strata properties like apartments, villas or townhouse), due to their higher land value. 

  • ​Apartment/villa/townhouse owners are either charged the minimum rate or the rate based on their share of the complex, whichever is higher. (Each strata lot has units of entitlement that determine its share of the total land value).

 

​Service Charges (waste and stormwater)

Waste disposal costs usually rise each year, but improvements in the new collection contract have lowered Council’s expenses - resulting in no change to waste management fees for 2026/27. Stormwater charges remain the same.​

Diagram for how total rates collected are calculated and how rates are calculated for an individual property.

You can view our video on how rates are calculated or click on the video below.


 

Overview - Our Area

  • Estimated residential population: 161,593(per Australian Bureau of Statistics).

  • Georges River rates per person (total residential rates collected ÷ population): $497.00 (in 2025).

  • New South Wales' average rates person: $591.00 (in 2019).

  • Other states average: $835.00 (in 2019).

 

Rate and Charges Structure for 2026/2027

 

Type

Minimum

 Rate in the dollar*
(Ad-valorem)

^Residential - Ordinary

 $1,157.00 $0.0013483

^Business General - Ordinary

 $1,318.00 $0.0031219

^Business Industrial - Ordinary

 $1,318.00 $0.0028504

^Business Local - Ordinary

$1,318.00

 $0.0044565
^Business Major Shopping Complex - Ordinary $1,797.00 $0.0117441
^Business Strategic Centres - Ordinary $1,797.00 $0.0046329
Domestic Waste Standard Service Charge $600.00
Stormwater Management Charge Residential property:     
  • Non-strata $25.00
  • Strata $12.50
Non-residential property:       
  • Non-strata $25.00 for every 350 square metres or part thereof to a maximum of $1,500 per rateable property.
  • Strata not less than $5.00 for any individual lot.

*Applicable to land values issued by NSW Valuer-General.
^Rating category. For more information, visit Council's Land Values and Rating Categories page.
 

Your rates and charges working for you

Rates are re-invested back into the community for vital services that benefit the whole community. These services include:
Services graph showing break down of how rates are spent.

Understanding Rates and Charges - Frequently Asked Questions

For information on waste services, visit Council's Waste page.

For more information, please refer to the Office of Local Government Frequently Asked Questions page.

  • How are rates higher or lower for the surrounding properties?

    Properties with higher land values pay more in rates, and vice versa. Land across NSW was valued by the Valuer-General on 1 July 2022, and because suburbs were at different stages of the property market on that date, valuations can vary - even between neighbouring areas.

    • A large increase in land value may mean your suburb has risen sharply in the market, or your property was previously undervalued and has now caught up.

    • A small increase could suggest a stable market, or that your property was already highly valued and other areas are now catching up.   

    For more information, visit the Land valuations and rating categories page.

  • How does Council decide how much the community pays for 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. This is called a Revenue Policy (available within the Delivery Program and Operational Plan).

    The Revenue Policy contains a rating structure that determines the rates and charges and how they will be calculated.

    Charges are generally determined on an annual basis (1 July to 30 June the following year).

  • How does the rate peg affect rates?

    The increase in total rates collected each year is restricted by State Government through the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART). The total rates amount Council collects each year is set by IPART. This is called rate capping (through either a rate peg or Special Rate Variation "SRV"), and it limits how much rates can go up, usually based on inflation or rising costs.

    For details about how the rate peg is calculated visit IPART's website. 
     
    The rate peg / SRV:

    • Does not apply to stormwater or waste collection charges.

    • Applies to Council’s total rates collected, and not to each individual property rates. Therefore, rates for an individual property may increase above this percentage, in particular if there are new valuations or if Council is required to catch up in rates not collected for previous years due to valuation objections.

    IPART has set a 2023-24 rate peg for each council, ranging from 3.7% to 6.8%. Georges River Council has applied 5.8% SRV to the total rates collected in 2023/24, as approved by IPART (third year of a five year SRV), which enables us to continue to provide ongoing services for the community.

    Although this increases the total rates collected by 5.8%, the change in rates for each individual property depends on how the land values for all properties have changed in the Georges River Council area.

  • How are increases to waste management and stormwater charges controlled?

    Charges for domestic waste management services and stormwater are not subject to rate pegging. 

    • Waste management charges: Council's waste management charges need to reflect the cost in providing waste services and education to the community, and does not exceed the reasonable cost of providing the service. 
    • Stormwater charges: The maximum annual charge is regulated by Section 510A LG Act and Section 125AA under the Local Government (General) Regulation 2021.


    Councils are still required to provide details in their draft operational plan and related draft revenue policy of what they are proposing to charge. Councils must consider submissions from the public before adopting the proposed rates and charges.

    Share your thoughts and ideas on Council projects and activities on the Your Say Panel.


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