Rates in Warringah
| About Your Rates |
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Address Change (Postal) for Property Owner or Managing Agent
Aggregation of Multiple Lots
Categorisation of Land: Category & Sub-Category of Land for Rating
Domestic Waste Management Charge
GST
How are your Rates Assessed
Interest Charges
Land Exempt from Rates
Land Valuations
Mixed Development Land
Name Change on the Rate Notice
Pensioner Rebates
Rates Payment Options
Section 603 Certificates
Address Change (Postal) for Property Owner or Managing Agents
Owners (or Managing Agents, on behalf of the property owner) are required to notify council if their current postal address is different from the address shown on the front of the Rate Notice. Please notify Council immediately. Notification can be made by fax, post or via email to council@warringah.nsw.gov.au
(Mailing address updates must be in writing, verbal updates will not be accepted.)
The form below may be used for the purposes of updating your Mailing address.
The “Change of Address” Form can be found in Online Forms – Rates.
Aggregation of Multiple Lots
When purchasing a property, an owner may find that their car space and/or storage lot is identified on a different lot to their unit. Under the normal rating process, the unit, carspace and storage lot will all be rated separately.
An individual can however apply to council to have multiple lots aggregated for rating purposes.
If you believe your property may be eligible, please contact Rates on
(02) 9942 2922.
Categorisation of Land : Category of Land for Rating
In accordance with the provisions of the Local Government Act, 1993, (sec514 to sec531) Council has declared each parcel of rateable land within the Council area to be within one of the following categories: Residential or Business
A ratepayer may apply to Council to have a land category reviewed at any time. If you feel your categorisation is incorrect, you can discuss this with a member of the rates team by calling 9942 2922. A Re-Categorisation Form can be obtained by phoning Rates on (02) 9942 2922.
Categorisation of Land: Change of Category & Sub-Category
The ratepayer must notify Council within thirty (30) days when a land category changes from one category to another.
Appeal Against Declaration of Category
If you are dissatisfied with Council's declaration of the category of your land after it has been reviewed, or the date of the category of your land is to take effect, you may appeal to the Land and Environment Court within 30 days after the declaration is made, under Section 526 of the Local Government Act 1993.
Domestic Waste Management Charge
Council must levy a separate charge for Domestic Waste Management Services. The cost of these services cannot be financed from ordinary rates and the charge must be sufficient to recover the reasonable costs of providing the services.
Domestic waste management charges include garbage, clean-up and recycling services.
Domestic Waste Management charges are exempt from Goods and Services Tax (GST).
Goods and Services Tax (GST)
Council Rates and Domestic Waste Service charges are all exempt from GST.
How are your rates assessed?
Your rates assessment is made up of 2 components:
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a charge covering Waste Management Services (residential properties only)
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a rate amount based on the land value of your property as at July 1, 2009.
Your rates are assessed over a financial year and there are four due dates for payment: 31 August, 30 November, 28 February and 31 May.
A reminder notice will be sent to you prior to the due dates for the last three instalments.
Interest Charges
If an instalment is not paid on or before the due date, the instalment will become overdue and will be known as "Arrears".
Arrears rates will be subject to daily interest in accordance with the provisions of The Local Government Act, 1993 at the interest rate approved by the Minister for Local Government.
The interest percentage will be shown on the front of your Rate Notice. For the financial year 2011/2012 this percentage is set at 11% per annum.
Arrears rates may also be subject to recovery proceedings by Council and may incur recovery costs.
Land Valuations
The land values assigned for rating purposes are supplied by the Valuer General's Office. These valuations are made every three years (approximately).
Appeals Against Land Valuations
Any objections or appeals regarding the valuation of the land value must be directed to the Valuer General's Office. Whether or not an objection is pending, the rates levied must be paid by the due date indicated on the front of your Rate Notice.
Click here to visit the Valuer General’s website. or phone 1800 110 038
Landowners also have the option to write to Valuation Objections – Customer Service at PO Box 745, Bathurst NSW 2795.
Land Exempt from Rates
Certain land is exempt from rating (referred to as "Non-Rateable Land").
In order to be eligible for exemption from rating (Non-Rateable Land) your parcel of land must be one of the following categories, as stipulated in the Local Government Act, 1993, they include;
Churches
Minister's residences
Schools
Public Land
Hospitals
Land owned and used by Public Charities and certain other land as provided in the provisions of the section 555 of the Local Government Act, 1993.
You may apply to have your property exempt from rating, or appeal Council's decision, in the Land and Environment Court.
Further information regarding non-rateable land may be obtained from Rates on (02) 9942 2922.
Mixed Development Land
In general, Mixed Development rating allows for a property to receive a combination of Residential and Business rates due to the property having dual usage.
For example, a residential property may also double as a corner shop, or doctor's surgery, or solicitor's office. Therefore, the residential and business rates will be levied, according to the proportion that each usage has to the whole of the property.
Previously, Mixed Development land was categorised according to its dominant use. Therefore, if a property was used for dual purposes of (for example) a residence and a corner shop, and the corner shop was determined to be the dominant use, the property would have been categorised and rated as business.
The Local Government Act, 1993 was amended during 1997, by the Local Government Amendment Act, 1997, which provided for Mixed Development rating and took effect from 1 July 1997.
The amendment allows a parcel of land occupied, or used solely as one building comprising a residence and a business, to be considered for Mixed Development rating, if it can be separately occupied for both business and residential purposes. If it is not currently occupied, or used; it must be constructed, or adapted, or designed, so that it can be separately occupied for both residential and business purposes.
The Valuer General's Department supplies Council with a Mixed Development Apportionment Factor (MDAF), for land subject to Mixed Development rating if they deem it applicable, following application by Council to the Valuer General’s Department (often on behalf of and as a result of the property owner’s request).
Rates and charges are apportioned according to the MDAF. If, for example, a parcel of mixed development land has an MDAF of 60%, rates and charges may be apportioned as: Residential 40% and Business 60%.
Any additional information you may require regarding Mixed Development rating, can be obtained by contacting Rates on (02) 9942 2922.
Name Change on the Rate Notice
If you have changed your name that appears on your Rate Notice (example, by way of marriage or Deed Poll), you must contact the Land and Property Information (LPI) NSW office.
The Land and Property Information (LPI) NSW office will require a copy of all supporting documentation to process the alteration to your name.
The Land and Property Information (LPI) NSW office will alter the deeds and notify Council.
Click here to visit the LPI website. or Phone: (02) 9228 6666
Pensioner Concessions
To be an eligible pensioner you must be liable for the rates and charges on a property. This property will need to be your sole or principal residence, and you must have a current pensioner concession card issued by Centrelink or the Department of Veteran's Affairs, or you :
- are TPI under the Veterans' Entitlement Act, 1986, or
- receive a general rate of pension adjusted for extreme disablement under section 22 (4) of the Veterans' Entitlement Act 1986 of the Commonwealth, or receive a special rate of pension under section 24 of that Act.
Please Note:
If you start receiving a pension after the commencement of a quarterly billing period and you meet the above conditions, you can claim a rebate from the start of the next quarterly billing period.
If you cease to qualify as an eligible pensioner, you will not be entitled to receive a rebate after the end of the quarterly billing period in which you ceased to be eligible. Therefore, if you were granted a pensioner rebate in advance that you are no longer entitled to, it will be charged back to your rate account for the period pertaining to your ineligibility.
Please contact Council on (02) 9942 2922 immediately if your eligibility changes.
The “Application for Pensioner Concession” Form can be found in Online Forms - Rates.
Section 603 Certificates
What is a Section 603 Certificate?
Section 603 of the Local Government Act 1993 provides for the issue of a certificate for "Rates and Charges." The certificate states the amount (if any) due and payable to Council by way of rates, charges or otherwise in respect to any particular parcel of land. This certificate is generally issued as part of the conveyancing process as 'conclusive proof' in favour of the bona fide purchaser as to outstanding rates and charges on the subject property for a particular point in time.
Solicitors, real estate agents and members of the public may make an application for a certificate accompanied by the approved fee.
Fees:
There is a statutory fee shown on the Section 603 certificate application form. GST is not applicable.
Processing Time and Ordering:
The usual processing time for a Section 603 certificate is between 24-48 hours from the date of receipt and payment. The certificate may be ordered through the mail, over the counter at Council's Customer Service Centre or by fax.
Urgency fee:
If you require the certificate more urgently, you can pay the urgency fee (as per the application form) and receive your certificate while you wait.
The “603 Certificate application” Form can be found in Online Forms – Rates.
Contact number for rates enquiries: 9942 2922
