Rates and your property

Having trouble paying your rates?

The City of Greater Bendigo is committed to helping customers who are facing financial hardship.

Financial Hardship is difficulty in paying debts when they are due, or repayments on your loans.

If you are finding it hard to keep up with your rates payments, please submit a request for a payment arrangement, or apply for a deferral. 

You can also contact our City staff for assistance. We can help assess your situation and work out what assistance is available. Our phone number is 1300 002 642.

The City understands that sometimes a situation may happen in your life that can affect your ability to pay for services. This could be an illness, accident, loss of employment, some family issues, the impact of COVID-19, or a change in your circumstances.

These Financial Hardship Guidelines are in place to help in these situations.

City staff will talk to you and ask some questions about your situation and financial circumstances, then work together to find the best solution.

The City can offer a range of payment options. Payment options may include:

•  Setting up a payment plan so you do not have to pay the full amount at once
•  Part payments made towards your bill at any time
•  Setting up fortnightly or monthly payments

If you need help applying for financial hardship or to contact a free financial counsellor, call the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007.

Experiencing financial hardship can impact your mental health. If you are worried about your mental wellbeing, contact Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.

If you have any questions or would like to talk to a City staff member to discuss further, please call 1300 002 642.

Find out about:

• How your property is valued
• How your rates are calculated
• Associated levies
• Payment options
• Discounts
• Applying for a concession

Every year the Valuer-General Victoria reviews property rates, which are then used by the City to determine individual property rates. Your rates notice includes a fee based on that value plus charges and levies for garbage collection. Read more on understanding your rates.

You can pay your rates in full or in quarterly instalments. A discount is offered on rates that are paid early and interest is charged on payments that are made after the due date. You can ask us to send your rates notice electronically and you can register for an SMS reminder. Learn about reminders and how you receive your rates.

We have also developed the Rates Brochure which includes commonly asked questions about rates. 

Victorian Fire Services Property Levy 

The Victorian Fire Services Property Levy is included on City of Greater Bendigo 2021/2022 rates notices, mailed out in early August 2021.

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.

Each property is allocated an Australian Valuation Property Classification Code (AVPCC). This code is used to categorise a property into one of six property classifications for the purpose of calculating the Fire Services Levy. Here's a full list of the Australian Valuation Property Classification Codes (AVPCC).

This shows the classification for each AVPCC for the Fire Services Levy 

Apply for Single Farm Enterprise Exemption of Fire Services Levy.