July 25, 2008

Ratepayers in Tamworth Regional Council will begin receiving their annual rate notices from Monday (July 28).

A record 25,648 notices are being mailed this year up 306 on last year's issued number.

General Manager Glenn Inglis has warned ratepayers that there will be some shocks for some owners a reflection of increased land values set by the Valuer-General's Department.

Two brochures are included with the rate notices a TRC Ratepayer newsletter outlining some of council's projects for the next year and the Valuer-General's Department flyer which details changes in land values.

In some cases, land values are up significantly in some TRC areas and the rate notices levied by TRC will show those jumps to some degree. TRC has to use the land values provided by the Valuer-General to determine their rating.

And some property owners will see increased sewer charges as the second year of the phased-in new sewer rate takes effect.

Mr Inglis said the council region has also seen more significant growth in the past 12 months, and that is reflected in the rate notices.

Mr Inglis said the council's forecast revenue from rates and annual charges is expected to rise by over $2.38million over last year's figure although the total rate income has been pegged to an increase of 3.2%. He says TRC is forecasting total revenue from this year's rates and annual charges of $44.89million.

"We expect to field plenty of calls from Monday as people start to receive their notices and have queries about their rate levies specifically because of the effects of new land values on their properties," Mr Inglis said.

The average Tamworth residential rate notice, on a property with water, sewer and waste services this year is $1875. Last year it was $1790.

Other fast facts about this year's rates mailout:

• 4,819 properties will receive pensioner rebates worth a total of $1.858million up by about $50,000 and 70 notices last year
• 21,583 notices are mailed to TRC postcodes down from 21,800 last year
• 4,065 notices are mailed outside TRC postcodes to more than 600 different postcodes, including overseas this year's figure is up by 500
• The biggest rate notice is $62,238 for a Tamworth commercial property (but this is down $7000 from last year's)
• The smallest levy is a piece of land at Dungowan - $87.50 this year up from $85 last year
• The average Barraba residential notice (with services) is $1404, the average Manilla one is also $1404, in Kootingal it is $1345 and the villages range from $162 minimum to $1515 (but they have different services)
  The average business rate notice in Tamworth is $3847, in Barraba it is $1733, in Manilla it is $1735 and in Moonbi/Kootingal it is $1551 (but limited services)
• 2,392 notices are paid by direct debit -but TRC would like to see more paid that way
• Arrears (or rates and charges owing to TRC) are at $2.498million.

The first rate instalment is due August 31 and there are a number of ways payments can be made. TRC promotes Direct Debit as the easiest, cheapest and most cost-effective form of paying rates.