FAQs

Mansfield Shire Council elected Four (4) Instalments option for Rates & Charges Notices. 

However, payments are accepted, weekly, fortnightly, monthly or on the due date.  Annual payments must be made prior to the due date to avoid interest charges.

The due dates are

• 30 September
• 30 November
• 28 February
• 31 May

For more information, see

Local Government Act 1989

No. 11 of 1989

Part 8—Rates and Charges on Rateable Land

Division 2—Payment of rates and charges

167 Payment of rates and charges

(1) A Council must allow a person to pay a rate or charge (other than a special rate or charge) in 4 instalments.

(2) An instalment is due and payable on the date fixed by the Minister by notice published in the Government Gazette.

Complete the Change of Details Form 157.13 KB PDF

The rate variation explained

On 4 June 2019 the Essential Services Commission (www.esc.vic.gov.au) approved a variation to the 2019-20 rate cap for Mansfield Shire Council.

For the municipality the total rate increase allowable is 13.94%.  This includes the legislated 2.5% increase on 2018-19 base rates, plus the transfer of a portion of waste charges ($1.2m) across to rates (the other 11.44%).

There is a corresponding decrease in waste charges.

Figure 1.  Extract from Budget 2019-20 (4.1.1 (a) - pg 26)

So what does this mean for your individual rates notice?

There are many different components that calculate your annual rates & charges, and they will look different this year on your rate notice.

Rates

General rates

This is the component that is based on the Capital Improved Value of your property.  The total pool of rates has increased due to the transfer of waste income across into rates, and a standard 2.5% increase.  Therefore most properties will see an increase in this charge compared to last year.

Further, all properties have been revalued this year.

The State Revenue Office now requires property revaluations to be performed annually (previously every second year).  If your property CIV changes in a manner consistent with the overall market (ie all properties increase by 10%), there will be no impact on your rates.  However, if your property CIV increases or decreases by a significantly different margin to other properties, your portion of the rate burden will increase or decrease accordingly.

Municipal charge

This is a fixed component of rates that is the same per property.  All rateable properties will continue to see a municipal charge on your rate notice (except where exemptions apply).  The municipal charge has increased as the total rate pool has increased as a result of the variation.

Service Charges

Bins

Properties with a kerbside collection service will receive a charge for your selected bin size, both waste and recycling.  Bin charges will be significantly decreased compared to last year, as $1.2m of waste charges has been transferred across to rates under the rate variation process.

Figure 2.  Extract from Budget 2019-20 (4.1.1 (i) - pg 28)

Community waste

The community waste charge is a service charge payable by all rateable properties that contributes toward the costs of:

• Maintenance cleaning of all street and public bins
• Maintenance of Council’s Resource Recovery Centre
• Waste Education Initiatives across the municipality
• Litter control
• Visitor waste management program
• Maintenance and servicing of all public place waste/ recycle infrastructure

For properties with a bin service, the community waste charge was previously included in your bin charge.  This year, the charge is separated out and you will now see it listed on your rates notice.

For properties without a bin service, you will still see a community waste charge on your rates notice.

Figure 3.  Extract from Budget 2019-20 (4.1.1 (i) - pg 28)

Example rate notice

Residential property – capital improved value $316,000**

OLD:  Last year (2018-19)

Total rates and charges = $1,563.90

NEW:  This year (2019-20)

Total rates and charges = $1,518.13

**Note: $316,000 is the median CIV for residential properties.  This means 50% of residential properties are valued higher than this, and 50% are valued lower.

The median CIV for other property categories are:

• Rural residential $480,000
• Vacant land $128,000
• Farmland  $790,000
• Commercial $364,000

The Community Waste Charge is an annual charge that is applied to all rateable properties including vacant land without a kerbside waste and recycling collection service. The Charge ensures that all ratepayers within the Shire are effectively contributing to all community waste initiatives within the municipality.

The charge is declared for the recovery of costs of the following:

• Maintenance cleaning of all street and public bins

• Maintenance of Council’s Resource Recovery Centre

 • Waste Education Initiatives across the municipality

 • Litter control

• Visitor waste management program

 • Maintenance and servicing of all public place waste/ recycle infrastructure

The Community Waste Charge is a non optional charge.

Mansfield Shire Municipality has a large land area (3,843 square kilometres) with an extensive local road network and unlike larger metropolitan municipalities, our shire has fewer Ratepayers to share the service costs of council.

Council bases its rate calculation on the Capital Improved Value (CIV) of each individual property.   Each property is assessed by the contracted Valuer to determine the CIV. If you think the CIV is too high or too low, you may object to the valuation.

Object to the valuation of your property 265.89KB PDF

To determine property values throughout the municipality, a qualified valuer is engaged annually by the Valuer General Victoria.

The  contracted valuer assesses the market value of each property as at 1 January. Property sales, rental data, land type, buildings and their condition as well as other property improvements are analysed as part of the valuation process.

All properties have presently been valued as at 1 January 2016.
Property owners have a right under the Valuation of Land Act 1960 to object to the valuation of their property. An Objection form is available and must be lodged within two months of the issue of the annual rate notice.

Object to the valuation of your property 256.89 KB PDF