What are rates and annual charges?
Council rates are a local tax levied on the land value of each parcel of land in the council area. The Tamworth Regional Council rating structure currently has six residential, six business, one farmland and one mining category.
Annual charges are amounts levied on each parcel of land for specific services that are supplied to that parcel of land. For example, water, sewerage and domestic waste management charges.
For more information please consult the 2012-2013 Revenue Policy.
Why do I pay rates and annual charges?
In many ways, it is a council’s activities that ensure acceptable lifestyles for all of us. When we go out to eat, we expect the food to be fresh and the premises to be clean. We expect our sporting fields to be maintained and our libraries to be free for everyone. We expect planning controls, without which, for example, there would be nothing to stop a factory being built next door to us. Your rates contribute to services that ensure an acceptable standard of living.
Tamworth Regional Council provides many services to the community including, but not limited to:
- parks, playgrounds and gardens
- sporting fields and showgrounds
- swimming pools
- public halls and recreational reserves
- libraries and community centres
- youth programs and child care
- aged care services
- Tamworth Country Music Festival
- tourism promotion
- planning and building services
- airport
- caravan parks
- saleyards
- cemeteries and columbaria
- roads, bridges, footpaths and drainage
- town water
- sewerage services
- waste collection and landfill facilities
What is rate pegging?
Each year, the NSW Government determines the maximum percentage by which Councils can increase their total rate revenue from the previous year; this is called rate pegging.
It does not mean that each separate rate assessment will increase by that percentage, but it does mean that the total rate revenue from all assessments cannot exceed this figure. The rate pegging limit only applies to rates and not to charges.
Councils can request the State Government consider granting a special variation above the determined percentage. An extensive community consultation process must occur before this can occur.
For more information please consult the 2012-2013 Revenue Policy.
Do you want more information in relation to rates and annual charges?
More information in relation to rates and annual charges is available from the Department of Local Government.
Rates Legislation
Council is required to advise ratepayers of the relevant provisions of the Local Government Act 1993 that give Council the power to impose rates and annual charges. The following is a summary of these provisions:
- section 524 Notice of change of category
- section 525 Application for change of category
- section 526 Appeal against declaration of category
- section 556 What land is exempt from all rates?
- section 564 Agreement as to periodical payment of rates and charges
- section 524 What land is exempt from all rates, other than water supply special rates and sewage special rates?
- section 557 What land is exempt from water supply special rates and sewage special rates?
- section 562 Payment of rates and annual charges
- section 566 Accrual of interest on overdue rates and charges
- section 567 Writing off of accrued interest
- section 574 Appeal on question of whether land is rateable or subject to a charge