Category: rates

Does every property in the LGA, of the same type, pay the same rates?

Here are some graphics from the 2025-26 Operational Plan which will give you an insight into the differences in rates per type and area. You may be interested in viewing the MCC Rate Categories and Subcategories Maps pdf at https://www.midcoast.nsw.gov.au/Your-Council/About-MidCoast-Council/Plans-strategies-and-policies/Policies-Library/Rates-%E2%80%93-Aggregation-of-Land-Values-for-Rating-Purposes-Policy

As shown in Table 1. below, different base amounts are set according to the properties categorisation and sub-categorisation. Residential Urban Town – Forster and Tuncurry $790, however Taree, Cundletown and Wingham have base amounts of $720 and Gloucester $630. To these amounts are added the ad valorem calculation which is the Valuer-General’s valuation of the property times the ‘Rate in $’. These also, as you can, are all different according to the sub-category.

Residential Coastal Towns – are more similar with Winda Woppa having a higher base amount and Rate in $.

With that understanding the rest of the table explains itself. So, NO, not every property in the LGA of the same type pays the same base amount rates. With the ad valorem amount added, rates can vary substantially throughout the LGA

Table 1.

Tables 2 & 3 display the Average Rate change between the years 2024-25 and 2025-26. Interestingly Green Point has seen a reduction, Halliday’s Point a tiny increase and Old Bar/Wallabi Point/Manning Point a very small increase. The largest increase is substantial and is at Seal Rocks, from $3,311.06 to $4,127.57.

Table 2.
Table 3.

The graphic below presents an overview of the operations that Council undertakes.

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Who decides your Rates?

This graphic shows what controls your council has on your rates. Most of the decisions are taken from council by the state government, whether it’s through property valuations (NSW Valuer General), the Local Government Act 1993, service mandates and concessions, and of course, iPART which sets the annual rate pegging amounts.

Council decides how this is shared between the properties in our LGA.

From the council website, ‘We use land values to distribute rates across the local government area. We do this by using a combination of the land value of the property and a fixed amount per property.’ https://www.midcoast.nsw.gov.au/Services/Make-a-payment/Rates-fees-and-charges/Your-rates-levies-and-charges

As valuations fluctuate so do rate amounts and anomalies can appear when properties on either side of a street, receiving the same services, can have widely differing rates.

Council website further states, ‘For detailed tables of base and ad valorem rates for our region see our operational plan.’ https://www.midcoast.nsw.gov.au/Your-Council/About-MidCoast-Council/Plans-strategies-and-policies/Our-delivery-program-operational-plan-and-budgets