General Rates

The following rating information complies with the requirements of the 1993 Local Government Act.

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Ad Valorem and Base Amounts

Central Darling Shire Council’s Ordinary and Special Rate Structure combines Ad Valorem Rates and Base Amounts. Section 498 of the Local Government Act 1993, provides for both Ordinary and Special Rates to be determined in this way.

The Ad Valorem Rate is the amount in the dollar, for a specified year, which will be levied on the land value of rateable land. A Base amount is necessary because many properties in all three categories throughout the Shire have very low land values.  If the Ad Valorem rate alone were applied, the amounts raised on these properties would be so small as to be unreasonable. That would increase further the amounts to be paid by property owners with average and higher values. The Base amount for each category cannot exceed 50 % of the Total Rate Yield for that category.

Valuations

Individual parcels of land are currently valued in accordance with the Valuation of Land Act, 1916. Valuations are made which reflect the value of land in a given area. The calculation of the Ad Valorem rate uses these land valuations to determine equitable rates levied dependant upon the perceived ability to pay. Hence persons with a higher land value will contribute more than ratepayers who own land of a lesser value.

Land Categorisation

Councils levy ordinary rates on the basis of four categories. These categories are Farmland, Residential, Business and Mining, with the majority of properties falling in the Residential category.

Farmland:

Section 515(1) of the Local Government Act 1993 identifies land to be categorised as Farmland, if it is a single parcel of land valued as one assessment and its dominant use is for farming.

The activity undertaken must be of a significant and substantial commercial purpose or character and engaged in for the purpose of profit on a continuous or repetitive basis. Whether or not a profit is actually made will not affect the categorisation of the land.

Residential:

The category of Residential Land can be applied according to section 516, if it is valued as one assessment and if its dominant use is for residential accommodation. Under the Act properties engaged in the area of hotels, motels, guesthouses, boarding houses, lodging houses and nursing homes are not categorised as residential.

Determination of dominant use of the parcel of land will be identified, rather than the area, when it comes to applying this category.

Business:

Land will be categorised as Business in accordance with Section 519 if it does not meet the criteria for categorisation as farmland or residential.

Mining:

There are no properties categorised as mining.

Rate Increase, Interest Rate and Notional Return 2016-17

The Independant Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) announced that Council may increase its Ordinary Rates by a maximum of 1.8 percent. The maximum interest rate that Council may apply to overdue amounts is 8% simple interest, effective from 1 July 2016. This interest rate is in accordance with s566(3) of the Local Government Act 1993, following the Ministerial determination.

The 2017-18 rating structure derives 40.67% of income from the Residential Category, 53.79% from Farmland and Business provides for 5.52%.

WASTE

S496 of the Local Government Act 1993 required all Councils to introduce a Domestic Waste Management Charge from the 1st July 1994. In accordance with the Act, Council must also ensure that no cross subsidisation occur with domestic waste management services. It is also clearly evident that movements in legislation will require a more diligent management approach to the issue of waste management across the Shire area.  Specifically Section 504 provides that:

1. A council must not apply income from an ordinary rate towards the cost of providing domestic waste management services.
   1. Subsection (1) does not prevent income from an ordinary rate from being lent (by way of internal loan) for use by the council in meeting the cost of providing domestic waste management services.
2. Income to be applied by a council towards the cost of providing domestic waste management services must be obtained from the making and levying of annual charges or the imposition of charges for the actual use of the service, or both.
3. Income obtained from charges for domestic waste management must be calculated so as to not exceed the reasonable cost to the council of providing those services.

Domestic Waste Management covers services comprising the periodic collection of domestic waste, and other related services, from individual parcels of rateable land.  Domestic Waste Management, for example, may include recycling, weekly pick-up and annual domestic clean-up services, and use of a waste tip site that may also accommodate non-domestic waste collection.

Under the legislation, all rateable land situated within the area in which a domestic waste management service is available, whether occupied land or vacant land, must be subject to an annualised domestic waste management charge. Under Section 501 of the Local Government Act, 1993 Council also levies an annual charge on business, commercial and industrial premises.

The townships of Wilcannia, Ivanhoe, Menindee and Menindee Environs have access to garbage collection services as well as refuse disposal sites.  The villages of White Cliffs, Tilpa and Sunset Strip have access to tip sites that Council is responsible for maintaining and replacing.

To follow on from the implementation of the total waste management strategy in Menindee, Wilcannia and Ivanhoe, Council aims to continue hard rubbish days in the towns.

Charges for Waste Management are as follows:

Waste Management Charge – Sunset Strip