Rates and your property

Fire Services Property Levy

The Victorian Fire Services Property Levy will be included on City of Greater Bendigo 2013-2014 rates notices when they are mailed out in August 2013.

It is a State Government requirement for all municipalities in Victoria to collect the levy that will be used to fund our important and essential fire services.

For more information please see the Fire Services Property Levy page.

Rates and valuation brochure

• Download the About your rates and valuation brochure (PDF, 650kb)

Rate payment reminder

Residents are reminded that full payment of the City of Greater Bendigo rates is due Friday 15 February 2013.

If you wish to receive a 1.5% discount on your current rates, pay in full by Monday 24 September 2012.

If you are paying by installments, the first payment is due by Monday 1 October 2012.

Rate payment due dates

Full payment

If paying in full, rates can be paid free of interest, up to and including 15 February 2013.

To receive the early payment discount of 1.5% on the 2012/2013 rates, pay in full by 24 September 2012. Any arrears outstanding must be paid in full along with the current rates to be eligible for the discount.

Installments

1st installment - 1 October 2012
2nd installment - 30 November 2012
3rd installment - 28 February 2013
4th installment - 31 May 2013

To qualify for the installment program, the first installment must be paid by the due date of 1 October 2012.

Interest is charged at 10.5 per cent on all payments received after the due date (full payments and installments).

Want a free reminder when your rates are due?

SMS your payment method - FULL (paying in full) or FOUR (paying by installments) together with your BPAY reference number e.g. FULL 1234567 to 0459 273 853 or text FOUR 1234567 to 0459 273 853.

You'll receive an SMS reminder before your rates are due. You can opt out by replying STOP to any text message.

How can rates be paid?

• BPOINT on the Internet or BPOINT by phone 1300 BPOINT or 1300 276 468
• By mail - PO Box 3500 Bendigo DC 3554
• At any Bendigo Bank branch
• Telephone by credit card, phone 1300 721 235 (BPOINT Biller Code 1933)
• In person at any post office
• Postbillpay on the internet or Postbillpay by phone 13 18 16
• In person at Council offices
• Direct Debit form
• BPay
• Easyway
• Centrelink Centrepay - Reference number 555 054 223L

Interest on overdue rates

Ratepayers who choose to pay their rates in full are given an interest free period of approximately six months from the date of receiving their notice.

However if rates are not paid in full by 15 February 2013, interest is charged and back-dated to 25 July 2012.

For those paying by instalments who do not meet the due date, penalty interest is calculated and backdated to the date that particular instalment was due.

At this time, the interest rate is 10.5 per cent per annum - this figure is set by the State Government. Interest continues to accrue daily until the account is paid in full.

Revenue and Debt Collection Policy (including Hardship)

A copy of our Revenue and Debt Collection Policy is available on the Policies page.

Calculating your rates

Rates are calculated by multiplying the Capital Improved Value (C.I.V.) of the property by the relevant rate in the dollar.

The 2012/2013 rates in the dollar are:

Residential Property - $0.00353
Vacant Land - $0.00433
Vacant Business Land A - (Urban Bendigo, Maiden Gully & Strathfieldsaye) $0.0066
Vacant Business Land B - (Rural Areas) $0.0064
Vacant Business Land C - (Bendigo CBD) $0.0069
Business A - (Urban Bendigo, Maiden Gully & Strathfieldsaye) $0.0066
Business B - (Rural Areas) $0.0064
Business C - (Bendigo CBD) $0.0069
Farm Land - $0.00308

For example, a residential property with a C.I.V. of $290,000

Annual charge                                         $290,000 @ $0.00353 cents in the dollar = $1,023.70
Garbage charge 140 litre bin               $123.00
Recyclable garbage charge                 $58.50
Municipal charge                                    $64.80
Total rates for full year                           $1,270.00

The annual charge for a 240 litre bin is $210.00.

What do the three valuations on the rate notice mean?

The three valuations shown are Site Value (SV), Capital Improved Value (CIV) and the Net Annual Value (NAV).

SV
Site Value is the market value of the land only.

CIV
Capital Improved Value is the total market value of the land plus buildings and other improvements.

NAV
Net Annual Value is either 5 per cent of the CIV or the current value of a property's net annual rental. For example, gross annual rental less outgoings including insurances, land tax and maintenance costs.

What is a municipal charge?

This charge is applied to each rateable property to allow us to recover part of the administrative costs of operating Council.

Legislation requires that this amount cannot exceed 20 per cent of the rate revenue (general rates and municipal charges). The municipal charge for 2012/2013 has been set at $64.80.

Objection process

Details about objecting are on the back of the rate notice.

The Valuation of Land Act specifies that any ratepayer aggrieved by the valuations appearing on their rates notice, may object using the prescribed form, within two (2) months of the issuing of the rate notice.

Initial enquiries should be directed to the Customer Service Centre.

The majority of enquiries can be dealt with without the need to go through the formal objection process.

Garbage and recyclable garbage charges

The following is a schedule of the charges applicable to a residential property for the 2012/2013 financial year.

An infrastructure charge is applicable in the first year a garbage charge or additional garbage charge is levied.

For details on garbage collection charges for business properties, please contact our Customer Service Centre.

Who is eligible for a pension rebate?

Ratepayers who hold the eligible Pensioner Concession Card may be entitled to receive a rebate on their rates and charges, up to the sum of $198.00 for the 2012/2013 year.

If you believe you are entitled to a rebate which is not already shown on your rate notice, please contact the Customer Service Centre who will assist you in completing the necessary form. Usually it is not necessary to lodge subsequent forms in future years. Proof of entitlement is required by production of an eligible concession card. The Health Care Card is not an eligible card.

The concession applies only to the principal place of residence of the Pension Cardholder. Ratepayers receiving the Farm Rate are not eligible to receive the concession.

Have you changed your address?

Property owners and ratepayers of properties are required to notify us of any changes of postal address. Please complete our online form now.

Alternatively notify us in writing by clicking here to print the change of address form.

Non-receipt of rate notices or delays in postal delivery, in many instances, are not the fault of the City of Greater Bendigo and therefore are not considered to be an acceptable excuse for late payment of rates. If a rate notice has not been received by the end of August, it may be that no change of address notification has been received.