A message from Council about rates

Australia’s tax system uses the payment of taxes to fund a variety of programs, services and infrastructure by all levels of government for the benefit of ourselves, our society and environment.

Council rates are a property tax based on property values. Nationally, council rates raise 3.6 per cent of taxes collected by all levels of government.

Rates are paid by all property owners within a municipality to help pay for more than 100 services provided by councils. They maintain local roads and footpaths, council facilities and public open spaces such as parks and gardens.

Rates support the places where our community comes together - libraries, community hubs and sporting and recreation facilities.

Our rates help support babies and new parents; children and young people and the older, vulnerable members of our community. They help lost pets make it home.

Councils provide the extensive range of services and support our communities expect and demand.

For councils like ours, this is a real challenge. We face greater difficulties than metro councils. The reality is a metropolitan city municipality may have ten times the amount of ratepayers but only a tenth the amount of local roads they need to maintain.

Our infrastructure and assets are extensive. Our beautiful Goldfields heritage buildings are treasured but are costly to maintain. Periodic restoration creates greater challenges, but something Council needs to budget for.

Council successfully seeks external investment whenever possible, primarily through government grants and that success ensures we keep these fine assets in the best possible condition, providing the services our community want and minimising the cost to ratepayers.

Council believes that through the fine work our staff, we provide real value for the rates which are charged. We are committed to explore every opportunity to deliver enhanced services and community infrastructure to benefit our community.