Rates and Charges

Information about rates and charges levied during a financial year. Rates are a charge on the property and are due and payable annually. 

Rates and charges

Rates and charges levied during a financial year are a charge on the property. All Golden Plains Shire ratepayers received their 2022/23 Rate Notices in the mail in August 2022.

For most residents, the annual Rates Notice is one of the larger bills you receive each year. While your tax payment to fund the State and Federal Government is likely taken out of your income before you receive your pay, your contribution to community projects and services delivered by Local Government comes to you in one rates notice.

There are three options for paying your Rates & Charges in 2022/23:

1. Pay in one full payment by 15 February 2023.
2. Pay in four instalments, due at the end of September, November, February, and May. Direct debit is available or notices are mailed out for each instalment with a range of payment options.
3. Pay in 10 monthly direct debit payments, due on the 15^th of the month from September 2022 to June 2023.

If those options aren’t possible for you, we are happy to work out an arrangement that suits you better. We appreciate that every rate payer has their own situation and we can help – just call Council’s Rates Team at 5220 7111 for a confidential conversation.

For more information on your Rates Notice, download our Rates Brochure or contact our Rates Team at 5220 7111.

DOWNLOAD RATES BROCHURE

Rating Strategy 2022-2026

Following a review and community engagement in 2021, Council adopted its Rating Strategy 2022-2026 at its February 2022 meeting. Under the new strategy, the following changes are effective from 1 July 2022:

• Increase to the vacant land differential from 200% to 205%
• Increase to the farm broadacre differential from 85% to 87.5%
• Increase to the farm intensive differential from 90% to 95%
• Increase to the Bannockburn business property differential rate from 120% to 130%
• Reduction of the Municipal Charge from $310.60 to $250

At the Council Meeting on 26 April 2022, Council resolved to make publicly available the data on the changes adopted in the new Rating Strategy 2022-2026, referenced as Option 5. 

Rating Strategy Data

A printed copy of the Rating Strategy data is available at Council’s Customer Service Centres: 2 Pope Street, Bannockburn and The Well, 19 Heales Street, Smythesdale. 

Receive your rates online

Register to receive your rates online 

If you register on this site you will be able to review or print your rates notices at any time. 

Annual notices and instalments notices will be available. If you have any questions please contact us.

Methods of payment

• Online: Pay online using our Make a Payment portal
• POST billpay: Pay in person at any post office, by phone: 13 18 16 or go to http://www.postbillpay.com.au/ (Credit cards are accepted). Refer to the POST billpay reference number on the front of your rates notice.
• BPAY: Telephone your participating Bank, Credit Union or Building Society to make this payment directly from your cheque, savings account or credit card. Your Bank may also offer Bpay via internet banking. For more information visit http://www.bpay.com.au/
• Direct Debit: Direct Debit is available for four legislated instalments and ten alternative monthly payments. Click here to download an application form. Click here to cancel an existing Direct Debit.
• By Post: Forward either a money order or cheque crossed "Not Negotiable" and payable to Golden Plains Shire Council. In line with common business practice a receipt will not be issued unless requested. Please mail payment to Golden Plains Shire Council, PO Box 111, Bannockburn Vic 3331
• Personally: Pay by cash, cheque or EFTPOS (includes Credit Cards) at either of the Customer Hubs located at:
  • 2 Pope Street, Bannockburn:  Telephone (03) 5220 7111 Facsimile (03) 4206 7011 Office Hours: Mon-Fri. 8.30am-5pm
  • 19 Heales Street, Smythesdale: Telephone (03) 5220 7111 Facsimile (03) 4206 7011 Office Hours: Mon-Fri. 8.30am-5pm

Interest penalty on late payments

In Full or Instalment Payment Options:

• If not paid by the respective due dates, then the manner in which interest is charged on both payment options, is on and from the date on which each missed instalment was due. Interest continues to be payable until the account is paid in full. Interest will be charged at 10% pa as fixed under Section 2 of the Penalty Interest Rates Act 1983. Interest is charged in accordance with Section 172 Local Government Act 1989.
• If you are having difficulty paying your rates by the due date, please contact Customer Service to arrange alternative payments. Failure to make contact can lead to legal costs and a poor credit rating. 

Change of Address

Property owners and ratepayers of properties are required to notify Council of any changes to their address. This must be done in writing via mail, fax or e-mail. Alternatively you can contact Customer Service to obtain a change of address form, or download one by clicking here. 

Non-receipt of rate notices or delays in postal delivery, in many instances, are not the fault of Council and therefore are not considered to be an acceptable excuse for late payment of rates. If a rate notice has not been received by mid September, please contact us to obtain a copy.

Revaluations

All rateable properties are valued annually. The undertaking of Land valuations (for rates, fire services levy and land tax purposes) in Victoria is now the responsibility of the Valuer-General Victoria and will be conducted on an annual basis rather than every second year. 

Objection to Property Valuation

Any person who desires to object against their valuation, must lodge an objection with Council within two months of the issuing of the rates notice. The grounds for objecting against the valuation are stated on the prescribed form, which can be obtained by contacting the Rates team.

To lodge an objection, use the link to the Valuer General Victoria's Objection Portal below:

Lodge an objection

Pension Concession

Under the State Government's Pensioner Rate Assistance Scheme, Council can provide a 50% deduction on the Council rate, municipal and garbage charges, up to a yearly maximum $247 for 2021-22. There is also eligibility for $50 to be deducted from the Fire Service Levy. To be eligible for the concession, you must:

• Hold a current Centrelink or Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) Pensioner Concession Card, or a DVA Repatriation Health Card specifying 'War Widow'. (Note: Holders of a Health Care Card are not eligible for a concession).
• The property for which you are seeking the rebate is your Principal Place of Residence
• Not yet made an application for any other property, or with any other council during the financial year

To apply for this concession please complete the Municipal Rate Concession Form and email the form and copy of your concession card to [email protected]; or please complete form in person at one of Council's Customer Hubs and present your concession card to one of our Customer Experience Officers. 

There is no need to re-apply if we already have your details. 

Additional information may be obtained from the Department of Human Services website:  Concessions - Department of Human Services, Victoria, Australia

Recently Deceased Ratepayer - what you need to know

If you are the executor of the estate, remaining joint property owner, or know someone who has passed away and owns property within Golden Plains Shire Council, the below checklist may be of assistance:

Recently Deceased Ratepayer

Farm Rate 

Council offers a concessional rating differential (10% to 15% reduction from the standard Residential rating differential) to genuine framers who meets the eligibility criteria listed under Section 2 of the Valuation of Land Act 1960. As per the Act and Council's rating purposes, “Farm land” means any rateable land,

(a) that is not less than 2 hectares in area; and

(b) that is used primarily for grazing (including agistment), dairying, pig-farming, poultry-farming, fish-farming, tree-farming, bee-keeping, viticulture, horticulture, fruit-growing or the growing of crops of any kind or for any combination of those activities; and

(c) that is used by a business -

           (i) that has a significant and substantial commercial purpose or character; and

           (ii) that seeks to make a profit on a continuous or repetitive basis from its activities on the land; and

           (iii) that is making a profit from its activities on the land, or that has a reasonable prospect of making a profit from its activities on the land if it continues to operate in the way that it is operating.

Eligible farms over 40 Hectares can receive the 15% discounted rating differential, while eligible intensive farms can receive the 10% discounted differential.

If you are currently registered with the Australian Tax Office as a “Primary producer” and meets the above-listed criteria under Farm land please contact the rates team to request an application form to become eligible for the farm concession rate.

Forms & Applications

Direct Debit Request Form

Land Information Certificate Request Form

Ownership for Fencing

Municipal Rates Concession

Objection Form Residential

Objection Form Rural

Objection Form Commercial/Industrial

Frequently Asked Questions

For more information, please contact us.

Contact Us

Not sure how the Rating System works? Watch the video below.