Unpaid Council Rates

You can use this guided pathway if you:

• are worried about paying your local
  council rates

  ?

  Council rates are property taxes your local council charges you. The rates you pay allow your council to pay for local facilities and services to the community. Councils also collect charges to cover the cost of services they provide you—like garbage collection, water supply and sewerage.

  For more information see Rates, Charges and Pensioner Concession on the Office of Local Government website.

• haven't paid your rates and they are overdue
• want information about a concession.

Councils collect rates and charges by sending you a rates notice in July each year. You can choose to pay the rates notice in full or by instalments every three months. Some councils allow you to pay every week or every 2 weeks. 

If you are in financial or personal hardship, for example if you have a serious illness or injury―you should tell your local council as soon as possible.

To find your local council, see Find Your Local Council on the Office of Local Government website. 

Last updated: November 2018