Rates, fees and charges

Generally, the owners of land have to pay rates. Occupiers of land may pay rates in exceptional circumstances.They may do so with the written consent of the owners. If someone other than the owner is paying the rates then the council needs to be notified accordingly.

Rates are paid periodically by a due date or dates set by council. A rates notice is posted to ratepayers, allowing approximately 60 days before payment of the entire amount is due, or, if payments by instalments, at least 30 days before the first payment is due.

The whole of the rates specified in the rates notice are due on 31 August each year. Instalments are due on the following dates:

• First instalment on or before 31 August
• Second instalment on or before 31 October
• Third instalment on or before 28 February
• Fourth instalment on or before 30 April

The ratepayer is responsible for ensuring that they pay their rates on time. If a ratepayer does not pay the rates on his or her property, Council may commence legal action against the ratepayer to recover the outstanding amount.

Any instalments not paid by the due date will incur a 5% penalty.

An assessed annual valuation is an assessment of the market value of a property, at a specific date and in accordance with legislation. The Valuer General determines the AAV under the Valuation of Land Act 2001. It is the gross annual income that, at the time of valuation, the owner of the property might reasonably expect to obtain from letting it to a tenant. The assessed annual value of the land cannot be less than 4 per cent of the capital value of the land.

It is the expected sum of money that might be realised if the land and any existing dwelling or improvements were offered for sale at a particular time. For instance, on a rates notice, it may show land value as $90,000 and capital value as $240,000. The capital values includes the land value and any buildings on the property.

If you wish to check your rates balance, please contact council on 03 6424 0511.

No, Devonport City Council does not offer a discount for early payment of rates.

Under the provisions of the Local Government Act 1993 , a ratepayer may apply to council for remission of all or part of the rates paid or payable. To be entitled to apply, the Local Government (Rates and Charges Remissions) Act 1991 , requires that a ratepayer must be an eligible pensioner and must occupy the property as his or her principle dwelling on or prior to 1 July of the rating year. To be an eligible pensioner you must have:

• A Centrelink Pensioner Concession Card, or
• A Department of Veteran’s Affairs Repatriation Health ‘Gold Card’ which bears the inscription ‘War Widow/Widower DVA’ or ‘TPI’, or
• Health Care Card Holders – Australian Government
• Possession of an Australian Government Seniors Health Card does not qualify the holder to a rate remission.

Applications for rates remissions must be received by council no later than 31 March of the year in which the rates are calculated.

A ratepayer who is having difficulty in paying rates should contact council at the earliest opportunity to arrange a payment schedule.

Council’s Financial Hardship Assistance policy explains how ratepayers can apply for assistance.
An application must be made in writing to the General Manager and submitted through one of the following options:

• online at www.devonportcitycouncil.tas.gov.au/onlineform
• emailed to: [email protected]
• mailed to: PO Box 604 Devonport 7310.

Council may grant or refuse a deferral application. Any granted deferral may be subject to a condition that the ratepayer pay interest on the amount due.

If a ratepayer does not pay the rates on his or her property council may commence legal action against the ratepayer to recover the outstanding amount. If council takes such legal action, the ratepayer may also be liable for council’s legal costs associated with the action.If rates, or anyone’s rates instalments, are not paid on or before they fall due, the council may impose a penalty not exceeding 10 per cent of the amount owing, and/or charge a daily interest rate determined by council.

A ratepayer who is having difficulty in paying rates should contact Council on 03 6424 0511 at the earliest opportunity to arrange a payment schedule that is agreeable both to Council and the ratepayer.

This is essential to avoid Council charging a penalty or taking legal action to recover outstanding rates.  Any instalment payment not paid by the due date will incur a 5% penalty.

If rates are not paid for a period exceeding three years, the Council may sell a property or part of a property to recover the unpaid rates. Council can sell it by public auction or by direct sale. If the owner of a property cannot be found, the council may apply to have that property transferred to the Council.

When properties are revalued by the Valuer General, their assessed values may change, leading to potential increases in rates for the owners. Revaluation increases can be significant, especially in areas experiencing rapid property value appreciation. Rate capping is implemented by Council to prevent abrupt and large increases that may burden property owners and lead to affordability issues.

Striking the right balance between allocating the rate burden fairly for all property owners and limiting individual property increases is a challenge that Council considers when implementing rate capping measures.

Here’s how rate capping works to smooth revaluation increases:

1. Limiting rate increases: Rate capping sets a maximum allowable percentage increase in property rates. For instance, if the rate cap is set at 15%, general rates will not increase beyond that limit, even if property values have risen more significantly during a revaluation period.

2. Smoothing out revaluation impact: By capping the rate increase, the impact of revaluation is spread out over time. Rather than experiencing a sudden and substantial increase in rates after a revaluation, the rates are adjusted gradually within the set limit.

Maximum increase rate caps have been applied to the following land use categories for 2023/24.

Residential – 15%
Primary Production – 15%
Vacant Land – 50%

“The waste management levy offset is payable by Councils to the State Government under the Waste and Resource Recovery Act 2022.

The State Government introduced the levy as a disincentive to sending waste to landfill, with money collected to be reinvested in improving local recycling, composting and resource recovery services, facilities and infrastructure. The introduction of the levy is staggered over four years, starting at $20 per tonne and rising to $60 per tonne.

The State Government levy was introduced on the rate notice from 1 July 2022 in order to reimburse Council for the new State Government Waste Levy incurred.

It is shown on the 2022/23 rates notice as Waste Management Levy Offset and is payable as a set amount of $15 per residential tenancy or $45 per tenancy for commercial and industrial property types.”