If you own a property in Clarence you are required to pay rates. Your rates help to better connect the city, build a sustainable and prosperous region and support our people and businesses.
Rates and charges are set out in the Local Government Act 1993 – Rates and Charges, this defines how rates are calculated. In general, rates constitute a tax on the land rather than a fee for service.
When local governments set their rates, they also need to take into account their community’s demand for services and the capacity of ratepayers to pay rates. Rates help cover the portion of our annual operational budget, that is not funded by State and Federal Government grants or fees.
Your rates help fund services such as:
- Waste collection
- Community infrastructure (such as stormwater, roads, footpaths, community halls, street lighting, parking, public toilets) – see works for larger projects
- Animal control
- Youth and family services
- Community arts and events
- Maintenance of parks, playgrounds and sports grounds
- Community facilities such as Clarence Aquatic Centre
How are rates calculated?
Property values are the basis of how your unique rate fee is calculated in Clarence and across Tasmania. The value of your property is set by the Tasmanian Valuer General – who assesses property values based on the housing market conditions, property class and house location. View the Property Value FAQ
There are a range of rate types on your notice and these are individually calculated – see FAQ: Types of Rates and How are they calculated?
See the Council Minutes for Rates and Charges 2024/25 and see also Rates and Charges Policy 2024 which provide the framework for rates and charges.
When are my rates due?
Rate instalment payments are due in August, October, January and March, or you can pay your rates in full – this must be paid by first instalment date (August) to avoid interest and penalties.
For late payments, interest and penalty fees are applied. If you do not pay your rates legal action commences and you may be liable for additional legal costs. In circumstances where there is an extended failure to pay we have the legal authority to sell your property to settle the debt.
There is support and options, so if you are experiencing financial hardship, please contact us and also view the Financial Hardship FAQ below.
If you have a question for our rates team you can contact them by emailing rates@ccc.tas.gov.au or by calling 03 6217 9650.
Rates FAQs
What are my options if I am experiencing financial hardship?
If you are unable to pay your rates, you will be asked to complete a financial hardship application. We will then work with you to either set up a payment plan for both parties, and for those in extreme financial hardship, rates can be deferred for a year.
Those rate payers that remain in financial hardship must complete an application every 12 months. Rate payers that complete a hardship application and maintain the agreed payment plan or have had their rates deferred for a year, will not be subject to penalties for nonpayment of rates.
See also the Financial Hardship Policy (June 2022)
Can I get a concession?
If you have one of the following concession cards you may be eligible for a rates remission:
- Services Australia or DVA Pensioner Concession Card
- Services Australia Health Care Card (but not a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card)
- DVA Veteran Gold Card – inscribed with TPI or “War Widow” whose Veteran Gold Card and entitlements are issued under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004.
AND:
- Reside at the property as their principal place of residence, and
- are legally responsible to the council for the rates of the property.
The start date on the card must be 1 July or prior to be eligible in the current financial year. The remission amount provided by State Treasury is 30% of all rates raised capped at a maximum amount each year. State Fire provide a remission of 20% of the fire rate charged.
Existing pensioners (if remaining eligible) should automatically see a reduction on their rates notice each year, new pensioners please complete the below application or complete at our offices prior to 31 March of the year.
This is a State Government remission and eligibility rules apply – please see the Tasmanian Government Concession website for more.
How can I pay my rates?
There are multiple ways to pay your rates.
BPoint – your BPoint payment details can be found on your annual and instalment reminder notices. Please note that payment reference numbers are specific to the property.
- Pay online (AMEX, Visa and Mastercard)
- By phone – call 1300 270 468 anytime
In person:
- At an Australia Post Office – please take your notice to pay
- Our offices (38 Bligh Street Rosny) between 8.45am to 5.00pm, weekdays.
Direct Debit options include annual, instalment, monthly and fortnightly. Interest and penalties do not apply if the Direct Debit is maintained as agreed.
Direct Debit Request Service agreement
- In this Agreement the following words and expressions have the following meanings unless the context requires or suggests otherwise:
- Business Day means a day that is not a Saturday, a Sunday, Easter Tuesday or a statutory holiday (as defined in the Statutory Holidays Act 2000 (Tas.)) generally observed in Hobart;Council includes any person administering or having authority in respect of any aspect of this Agreement on behalf of the City of Clarence;Direct Debit Request (DDR) means a payment collected from the Customer’s bank account in accordance with the DDR Form issued by us;Financial Year means 1 July to 30 June each year; andRates Notice means a notice issued in accordance with section 122 of the Local Government Act 1993 (Tas.)
- Council will recalculate a DDR as soon as possible after the Rates Notice has issued to ensure rates will be paid in full by the end of each Financial Year.The Customer will be advised by Council at least thirty (30) days in advance of any changes to the DDR, including changes to the terms of this DDR Service Agreement.For all matters relating to the DDR:New DDR Forms must be received by Council seven (7) days prior to the Date of Commencement on the prescribed DDR Form.Amendments or cancellations must be received seven (7) days prior to the next Direct Debit deduction calculated based on the frequency of the Direct Debit shown on the prescribed DDR form.
- It is the Customer’s responsibility to ensure sufficient cleared funds are in the account to be debited as outlined on the DDR Form when the payments are to be debited. If the Customer has insufficient cleared funds or if the Customer exceeds their account transaction limit, their financial institution may charge a fee and dishonour the DDR.If the due date for the DDR falls outside a Business Day, the DDR will be processed by Council on the first available Business Day PRIOR to the Direct Debit due date.If the Customer’s DDR is dishonoured and returned unpaid, the following procedures will apply:
- On the first occasion – A letter will be sent to the Customer advising of the dishonoured payment, and that the dishonoured payment will be included in the next deduction due, plus the usual Direct Debit amount.On the second occasion – The DDR will be cancelled by Council by notification in writing to the Customer and the Customer will be requested to make alternative arrangements for the payment of the outstanding rates balance.
- The Customer should be aware that:
- Direct Debiting through Bulk Electronic Clearing System (BECS) is not available on all bank accounts; andDetails of the Account to be debited should be checked against a recent statement from your Financial Institution. If you are in doubt, you should check with your Financial Institution before completing the DDR Form.
- Once the Customer’s annual rates balance shows a credit balance the DDR will cease until rates become due and payable again.
- In accordance with section 128(1)(c) of the Local Government Act 1993 (Tas.), Council will impose interest and penalties on any rates or instalments that are not paid on or before the date they fall due. For the 2024/25 Financial Year interest will be charged at 10.14% per annum (calculated daily) on all overdue amounts from the day after the due date and a penalty of 5% will apply to any part of an instalment amount outstanding. However, if your Direct Debit is adhered to interest and penalties will not apply.
- All customer records and account details will be kept private and confidential to be disclosed only at the request of the Customer or Financial Institution shown on the DDR Form in connection with a claim made to an alleged incorrect or wrongful DDR, or in accordance with council’s Privacy Policy.
Bpay – through your Bank’s internet banking service – Clarence City Council’s biller code is 129163. Your unique BPay payment details and reference number can be found on your Annual and Instalment Reminder Notices.
Please allow three business days for payments made via BPay, BPoint or at Australia Post to be received by council.
What are the type of rates on my rates notice and how they are calculated?
You may notice a range of rate type on your notice – here we explain what they are for and how they are calculated.
General Rate: The general rate goes towards all council services except for Stormwater and Waste. This rate is applied to all properties unless specifically exempt per the Local Government Act (1993) or Council rebates. All properties pay a fixed charge plus a rate in the dollar applied to the current capital or adjusted capital value. The rate in the dollar applied is dependent on the properties land use code as issued by the Office of the Valuer General.
Stormwater Rate: to fund Stormwater services of Council. All properties within council’s stormwater districts are required to pay this levy. This is calculated by applying the rate in the dollar, applicable to the properties land use code, by the current capital or adjusted capital value of the property. However, a minimum charge does apply which varies every year.
Waste Management Service Charge: All residential dwelling units pay the minimum waste management service charge which includes an 80L Waste Bin, a 140L Recycling Bin and a 240L Green waste Service (where provided). Properties can request larger or multiple bins, the waste service charge being adjusted accordingly. See the Waste webpage for more information.
State Government Waste Levy: A waste management service charge which council must collect on behalf of the State Government under the Waste and Resource Recovery Act 2022. This is applied to all properties with a waste bin(s) and the charge varies depending on the size of the bin(s).
State Fire Service Rate: This rate is collected by council on behalf of the State Government, to fund the State Fire Commission. The rate is based on the fire districts applied to each property as determined by the State Fire Commission.
How is my property valued?
The Office of the Valuer General (OVG) completes a full revaluation on individual properties of the City every 6 years. In between the full revaluation the Capital Value and Assessed Annual Value (AAV) is adjusted every two years. These adjustment factors are also provided by the OVG and are assessed on changes in property market conditions, based on property class and location not individual properties. This assessment results in the same percentage increase or decrease to the capital value of all properties within that property land classification and location.
The resulting capital value changes do not mean a windfall for council, they simply mean the total rates base will be redistributed based on these new adjusted values within the city.
For more information on property valuations and contact details please refer to the Office of the Valuer General website.
Types of value explained:
- Assessed Annual Value (AAV): The AAV is the gross annual rental value of a property excluding GST, municipal rates, land tax and fixed water and sewerage, but cannot be less than 4% of the capital value. The AAV is provided to council by the Office of The Valuer General and must be applied to each property as given.
- Capital Value (CV): The CV is the total value of the property (including the land value), excluding plant and machinery. The CV is provided to council by the Office of The Valuer General and must be applied to each property as given.
- Land Value (LV): The LV is the value of the property including draining, excavation, filling, reclamation, clearing and any other invisible improvements made to the land. It excludes all visible improvements, such as buildings, structures, fixtures, roads, standings, dams, channels, artificially established trees and pastures and other like improvements. The LV is provided to council by the Office of The Valuer General and must be applied to each property as given.
What are supplementary rates?
Supplementary Rates are typically charged when there is a change in the capital value of the property due any of the following:
- An addition, extension or improvement being constructed.
- A new dwelling, unit or other structure being erected.
- The property being separately valued (e.g. following subdivision).
- Any other factor leading to a significant variation in the property value.
A supplementary rates notice will also be issued when there has been a change to the size or number of waste bins at the property. When issued the supplementary notice replaces the previous annual notice.
Depending on individual circumstances, alterations to rates apply from:
- The date of valuation, issue date or the Occupancy or Completion Certificate, or the Sealed Plan date (strata title), for developed properties (whichever occurs first).
- The Sealed Plan date (subdivision).
- Sale date for vacant land previously valued together with another title.
- Or back to 1 July in the current financial year, if the change occurred in a prior financial year.
What do I do if there is a change of property ownership?
If you no longer own a property, recently purchased a property in Clarence or your details have changed (marriage, divorce or owner has deceased) changes will need to be made through the Land Titles office.
Property ownership information on your rates notice directly reflects the Land Titles Records and council do not have the authority to change this record until notified by the Land Titles office. To add, change or remove owner’s details you will need to either:
- Consult a lawyer or conveyancer for sale/purchase/estate
- Contact the Tasmanian Land Titles office
Changes to title information can take up to 8 weeks to process after all completed documentation is lodged with the land titles office.
How do I get a copy of my rates notice?
A copy rates notice can be obtained by emailing rates@ccc.tas.gov.au, outlining the year/s required and the address of the property/ies. Please note that there may be a fee payable for historic notices.
Can Not for Profits receive a remission on their rates?
Yes. As part of council’s Rates and Charges Policy 2024, council can provide a general rate remission to a not-for-profit (NFP) organisation who is not operating commercial activity (on all or part of the property). This includes council’s exclusive use lessees who are also NFP organisations.