Rate payment options

Ratepayers electing to pay their rates in full must ensure the whole amount displayed on their rates notice is paid by 15 February (or next business day) of the year the rates notice is issued.

Part payments can be made on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis between September and February, but all balances must be paid by the legislated due date. You can find out more information about regular payments by contacting us.

Penalties for late payments will apply. Please refer to the penalties for late payment section below.

To be eligible for the instalment option, the full amount appearing in the first instalment area of your notice must be paid by the end of September in the year the notice is issued.

Failure to meet this requirement will result in the assumption of your property as a full payment account. This means all rates and charges must be paid in full by the date in February shown on your notice. Payment in full by this date will avoid incurring penalty interest and / or debt collection costs.

If you do pay your first instalment in full by the end of September, reminder notices for the remaining three instalments will be issued to you at least 14 days prior to the due dates.

Penalties for late payments will apply. Please refer to the penalties for late payment section below.

The Pay in 10 option allows you to spread your rates over 10 monthly payments, automatically debited from your nominated bank account on the 15th of each month (or the next business day), from September through to June each year.

To apply for this payment option, please complete our online form Request to pay rates by direct debit.

Important to note:

• You will not receive reminder notices if you choose this option.
• Penalties may apply if a payment is dishonoured and not resolved within 7 days.

Council is aware that some people may find it difficult to pay their rates and can offer a payment plan under our Property Rate Debt Management Policy.

You can apply for a payment plan with weekly, fortnightly, or monthly instalments tailored to your financial capacity. This allows you to spread payments throughout the year.

⚠️ Important:
To be eligible for a formal payment arrangement, the entire outstanding balance must be paid in full within 12 months of the start date. If your proposed payments do not meet this timeframe, your application will not qualify for a formal arrangement.

For further information and to apply see our rate payment plan page

If you are unable to meet the 12-month payment requirement for a payment plan you may be eligible to apply for financial hardship.

You may apply for financial hardship assistance only for your sole or principal place of residence.

For further information and to apply see our financial hardship page

Penalty interest will be incurred on any accounts not paid in accordance with the legislated rate payment due dates. Interest will accrue at 10% per annum.

If an instalment or lump sum payment is not paid by the legislated payment date, it will incur interest. The interest is calculated on and from the date on which each installment was due.

A ratepayer with an outstanding balance after the legislated payment dates may be referred to Council’s Debt Collection Agency if they do not enter into a suitable payment arrangement with Council. All costs of which may be charged back to the total debt levied on the property rate account.