Friday 20 July, 2012

A record 26,459 Tamworth Regional Council rates notices - 191 more than last year - will start to be delivered to local mailboxes next week.

The council’s total rates and charges income for 2012/2013 is $57.628 million.

There is an increase in General Rate income of 14.6 per cent, which includes the 3.6 per cent rate cap which applies for all NSW councils and an 11 per cent Special Rate Variation – a permanent onetime increase to Tamworth Regional Council’s General Rate income granted by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART).

Council is not increasing its sewer or stormwater charges this year, while water charges will increase six per cent and waste charges will go up 3.6 per cent. Residential and business ratepayers will pay $13 more for water availability for the year and $9 more for waste collection for the year.

Tamworth Regional Council General Manager Paul Bennett said it is important for ratepayers to understand that the 14.6 per cent increase does not mean the total amount on this year’s rates bill will go up by that amount.

‘The rate increase of 14.6 per cent will be applied only to the Ordinary Rate amount on your rates notice - not to the total amount payable,’ he said. ‘Ratepayers will find that the total increase to their rate bills is not as high as they expect.’ 

The average Tamworth residential ratepayer will receive a total annual rates bill (including water, sewer and waste services) of $2262 which is about $152 or 7.22 per cent more than last year’s total rates bill.

In Barraba, the average residential ratepayer will receive a total annual rates bill of $1683, which is about $84 or 5.23 per cent more than last year.

The annual total rates bill for a Manilla resident will be an average of $1679, which is about $82 or 5.16 per cent more than last year.

Residents of Kootingal and Moonbi will, on average, receive a total annual rates bill of $1613, which is about $71 or 4.57 per cent more than last year.

The total annual rates bill for the average Village residential ratepayer will be $1664 which is about $78 or 4.91 per cent more than last year’s total rates bill.

Tamworth residential ratepayers will provide a total of $15.747 million in General Rate income with Barraba accounting for a total of $303,079, Manilla $453,302, Kootingal $301,801 and the other villages in the region $189,038.

Business rates will return $5.279 million in income from about 1800 businesses and 2970 rural properties will return farmland rates of $5.039 million.

Anyone who needs help to understand their rates notice can call Council on 1300 733 625.

Rates can be paid in full or by instalment. The first rate instalment is due on August 31. Most rate notices should be delivered on Monday and Tuesday, July 23 and 24.

A range of payment options are explained on the back of rates notices. Payments can be made in person at any of Council’s Customer Service Centres at Barraba, Manilla, Nundle and Tamworth, by direct debit, at Australia Post, using BPay or by phone.

Any ratepayer having difficulty paying should call Council on 1300 733 625 and ask to discuss entering a special arrangement to pay their rates. Council has a Ratepayers Hardship Policy which can be accessed confidentially by anyone experiencing financial hardship.

Facts and Figures

• A total of 4681 properties in the Tamworth Region Council area will receive pensioner rebates worth a total of $1,824,586.71 – up $28,057.01 from last year and about 82 notices more than last year.
• There are 22,480 notices are mailed to Tamworth region postcodes.
• There are 3979 notices mailed to postcodes outside the Tamworth region - to more than 764 different postcodes, including overseas.
• The largest rates bill this year is $79,256.72 for a Tamworth business property. The smallest notice issued is $283.32 for a farmland block at Limbri.
• The average Tamworth residential property rates bill total (including services) is $2262, up $152.34 from last year. The average Barraba residential notice (with services) is $1683, in Manilla $1679, in Moonbi or Kootingal $1613 and in the villages $1664.
• The average Tamworth business property rates bill total (including services) is $4896. The average business rate notice in Barraba is $2118, in Manilla $2165, in Moonbi or Kootingal $1911 and in the villages $1739.
• Nearly 3000 farmland rate notices are issued and the average notice is $1830.
• One in 10 ratepayers pay their rates by direct debit - but Tamworth Regional Council would like to see more paid that way.
• Council has 3,659 ratepayers with special payment options in place to pay their rates arrears.