We will send your annual Rates notice in July of each year. If you wish to pay your rates in full the first instalment will be due on or before 31 August.
If you choose to pay by instalments, your payments are due on or before the following dates every year:
- 1st instalment: 31 August
- 2nd instalment: 30 November
- 3rd instalment: 28 February
- 4th instalment: 31 May
It does not cost any more to pay by instalments. We will send an instalment notice at least 30 days before each instalment due date.
Council provides a wide range of services to benefit our community.
These include managing and maintaining expensive infrastructure such as:
- Local roads
- Libraries
- Museums
- Sports stadium
- Sporting grounds
- Childcare centres
- Parks
- Playgrounds
- Street lighting
Council also provides other services including:
- Planning and development assessment
- Waste collection
- Economic development
One of the ways Council provides these services is through our statutory power to charge rates.
Rates make up a significant portion of Council's income. Fees and charges, and grants from the federal and state governments make up the balance.
Council’s activities and projects are outlined in our annual Delivery Program Operational Plan.
The Local Government Act 1993 (the Act) requires Council to declare each parcel of rateable land to be categorised as either:
- Residential
- Business
- Farmland, or
- Mining
Council also has several subcategories that are determined by the dominant use of the land, for example:
- Farmland – Dairy Farmers
- Residential – Non-urban
- Business – Commercial / Industrial
- Business – Nowra
- Business – Major Retail Nowra
- Business – Major Retail Vincentia
We will decide which category your property should be in based on its characteristics and use. All rateable land within Shoalhaven city is categorised as either Residential, Business or Farmland. A rating category is determined in relation to the dominant current use of your property.
A rating category is not the same concept of a zoning, or permitted use, nor can a rating category create subdivision entitlements.
The Act is specific about the requirements for each category. Parcels of land that are unable to be categorised are placed in the default category of ‘Business’ in accordance with the Act.
If the usage of the property changes (for example, business to residential) you must notify us within 30 days of that change.
Changes of rating category
If you are not satisfied with the category given to your property, you may apply to have the category reviewed. If you do this, we will notify you of our decision and the reasons for the decision.
Ratepayers can apply for a change of rating category by completing a change of category application form.
If you do not agree with the category given to your property following the review, you may appeal to the Land and Environment Court. You must do this within 30 days of receiving our review decision.
All applications are reviewed and processed in accordance with the Act and any changes made will be in accordance with the relevant sections of the Act.
You must notify Council within thirty (30) days if a change to your rating category occurs.
Council may conduct a review of categorisation of property at any time and may change your rating category as a result. You will be advised in writing if your property is reviewed and the categorisation is changed.
To find out more about rating categories, contact our Revenue Management Team.
When Council prepares its budget for the new financial year, it considers how much revenue will be generated from rates and charges.
Council is limited to a maximum percentage that can be raised from certain rates and charges. This restriction is called ‘rate pegging’ and it is set by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) each year.
The exception to the 'rate pegging' limit is if Council has had a 'special rate variation' application approved.
In 2024/25 Council is subject to the IPART determined maximum rate-peg increase of 4.5% for Shoalhaven City Council.
Council is required to calculate rates in a specific way. We use a combination of a base amount and an ad valorem for the ordinary rates in Shoalhaven.
Ordinary rate
The ordinary rate is subject to ad valorem being applied to the current value of the land. The base amount and *ad valorem vary depending on which rating category your land belongs to.
Base amount
The use of a base amount brings the higher and lower values closer together and in effect spreads the burden across the board to all ratepayers. The base amount can vary across rate category types but not within categories.
Ad valorem
The ‘ad valorem rate’ is the rate-in-the-dollar amount applied to the value of the land. Your ad valorem rate component is calculated by multiplying your land valuation by a 'rate in the dollar' amount.
The ad valorem rate for each rating category is determined by Council each year in consideration of the maximum amount of rates income Council is permitted that year and in conjunction with the total of all land values in each rating category.
The ad valorem rate varies across the rate category types, of Residential, Business and Farmland (and their sub-categories).
Sample rate calculator
Base amount + (individual land value x ad valorem rate) = annual ordinary rates
For example, Mr Jones owns land in the residential rating category, which has a land value of $500,000; The base amount applicable is $760.
The ad valorem rate for a residential property is 0.09923 cents in the dollar.
$760.00 + ($500,000 x $0.0009923) = $1,256.15
| 2024/25 rates (per category) |
Base amount |
Cents in the dollar (ad valorem) |
| Residential |
$760.00 |
0.09923 |
| Residential non-urban (no building entitlement) |
$50.00 |
0.09923 |
| Farmland |
$1,012.00 |
0.07520 |
| Farmland dairy farmers |
$1,144.00 |
0.03970 |
| Business commercial/industrial |
$760.00 |
0.17380 |
| Business Nowra |
$760.00 |
0.51600 |
| Sussex Area special rate |
$0.00 |
0.02175 |
To find out more about rates calculations, contact our Revenue Management Team.
Some parcels of land are exempt from rates and charges, including land within a national park or land that belongs to a school, charity or religious group and that is being used for those purposes.
Unless you meet the exemption criteria outlined in the Local Government Act 1993, you are not exempt from paying rates.
If you have made a payment to your rate account and then received your rate notice and the balance indicates the payment has not come off, there could be a few reasons for this:
- You may have made your payment after we have gathered all your information to send to our printing company to produce the notices. Any payments made after this will not appear on your notice, but your payment will be recorded on our system. Check your bank statement to see if the payment has been deducted from your bank account
- If the payment has been deducted from your bank account, then check the method by which you paid. Did you provide the correct reference number to make the payment?
Reference numbers
Reference numbers are 8-digit numbers. All rate accounts start with ‘5’, water accounts start with ‘6’.
The reference number is unique to your property and every property has its own number.
If you have used the reference number from your previous property in error, then the payment may have been credited to the wrong rate account or water account.
Your payment has gone astray!
If you think your payment has gone astray check with your bank first, then contact our Revenue Management Team immediately with all the payment details.
Due to privacy concerns, if you need to contact Council to discuss a deceased estate or to advise us of the passing of one of our ratepayers, we require you to submit a copy of the ratepayer’s death certificate and will that lists you as the executor of the estate, by using the following link: Create deceased estate notification.
Council is unable to change ownership details, however upon receipt of a copy of the death certificate and will, Council will change the name on the account to "Estate of ..." and executors are noted as authorised representatives.
Accounts will continue to be raised and remain in the deceased person’s name until the property is transferred to the executor(s) or to the surviving owner(s). Your solicitor will lodge the appropriate forms with the NSW Land Registry Services. Once the certificate of title has been changed, Council will be notified.
Interest charges will continue to be applied but no further action, including reminder and final reminder notices will be undertaken for up to six months, at which time the account will then be reviewed. If Council’s quarterly Centrelink verification identifies a person as deceased, the pension rebate in the deceased's name will be removed from the property as the eligibility has ceased.
When providing copies of the death certificate and will, it is also recommended to provide contact details for the executors and advise if the postal address needs to be updated.
Authority can be provided by using this link: Create authority to act notification, or by post to Shoalhaven City Council PO Box 42 Nowra, NSW 2541.
Due to privacy concerns, accounts can only be discussed with:
- The owner/s of the property
- Persons with legal authority to make financial decisions on behalf of an owner
- Persons for whom an owner has provided Council with written authority from to act on their behalf
Written authority must state what the authorised person can discuss with Council for example, rates notices and water account or all Council matters.
Authority can be revoked at any time in writing to council@shoalhaven.nsw.gov.au, or by post to Shoalhaven City Council PO Box 42 Nowra, NSW 2541.
Legal authority includes:
- General power of attorney - A legal document that allows you to appoint a person(s) to manage financial and legal decisions on your behalf, only while you have the ability to make your own decisions.
- Enduring power of attorney - A legal document that allows you to appoint a person(s) to manage financial and legal decisions on your behalf and continues even if you lose the ability to make decisions for yourself.
- Executor - The person or organisation responsible for managing your assets according to the directions in your Will when you pass away.
- Financial management order - If a person's decision-making ability is impaired due to disability, age, mental illness or injury, another person, private trustee company or the NSW trustee and guardian may be appointed as a financial manager by a court or tribunal, to make financial decisions on their behalf under a financial management order. A financial manager is responsible for looking after all (or part) of another person's financial and legal affairs.
Legal authority does not include:
- Enduring guardianship - A legal document that allows you to appoint an enduring guardian(s) to make health and lifestyle decisions on your behalf if you become unable to, due to injury, illness or disability. They can not make financial decisions on your behalf.
Authority can be provided by using this link: Create authority to act notification, or by post to Shoalhaven City Council PO Box 42 Nowra, NSW 2541.
Due to privacy concerns, accounts can only be discussed with:
- The owner/s of the property
- Persons with legal authority to make financial decisions on behalf of an owner
- Persons for whom an owner has provided Council with written authority from to act on their behalf
Written authority must state what the authorised person can discuss with Council for example, rates notices and water account or all Council matters.
Authority can be revoked at any time in writing to council@shoalhaven.nsw.gov.au, or by post to Shoalhaven City Council PO Box 42 Nowra, NSW 2541.
Legal authority includes:
For real estates
Acceptable authority to act documentation:
- Owners consent for them to act on their behalf
- Managing agreement for the specific property (where states/ticked that they are responsible for the bills)
For companies
Acceptable authority to act documentation:
An official document verifying their details as an authorised officer of the company – i.e., that they are a director or secretary.
This official document could be either:
- A company extract (as issued by ASIC), or
- A letter on company letterhead (or similar issued by email from the company email domain) signed by an existing authorised officer of the company
Why is this necessary?
Access to information
Council’s privacy management plan states that we do not disclose personal information without consent.
Council’s privacy management plan protects our customers personal information by requiring appropriate supporting documentation prior to actioning a request to access, alter or amend information held.
We protect our customers information by confirming that any access to information we provide is authorised, appropriate. Once we have the documents required, you will not need to submit this again.
Where changes are requested
Our privacy management plan also protects our customers by requiring a written application for substantive amendments. The application should set out the grounds on which changes are sought.
Council’s privacy management plan protects our customers personal information by requiring appropriate supporting documentation prior to actioning a request to access, alter or amend information held.
We protect our customers information by confirming that any access to information we provide is authorised and appropriate. Once we have the documents required, you will not need to submit this again.
Yes. The Local Government Act 1993 is quite specific in how councils can increase rates and charges and before doing so must consult with the public extensively through the creation of the annual Draft Delivery Program Operational Plan (DPOP), which is usually on public exhibition during the month of May each year.
All submissions received by Council from the public regarding the upcoming year's rates and charges are reported to Council and all submissions considered prior to adopting the final Delivery Program and Operational Plan.
The annual public exhibition of at least 28 days is your primary opportunity to raise any issues about the rates and charges proposed for the coming year as once the rates and charges have been adopted, they cannot be changed until the following year.
Councillors are aware of the burden any increase of rates and charges has on the community and any rate, charge or fee which needs to be increased is only done after all Councillors are satisfied the increase in fees or charges is justified.
Once the contract for sale of a property has taken place, the solicitor/conveyancer should request a 603 certificate from Council.
This certificate is a notification of all outstanding monies owing on the property i.e. rates, water, kerb and gutter or effluent.
At settlement time, the solicitor/conveyancer should contact Council and request an update to the 603 certificate as new rates, charges or interest may have been added to the account.
Rates arrears not paid at the time of settlement remain the responsibility of the new property owner. It is up to the purchaser, seller and solicitor/conveyancer to determine if rates and charges are paid in full for the whole of the remaining year at settlement or up to the next quarterly instalment date.
It is always advisable to pay rates and charges for the whole of the year at settlement as the time delay in notifying Council of the sale by the Land Titles Office can mean the new owners do not receive their rate instalment notice causing payments to be missed and interest to be incurred.
If you are still receiving rate notices for a property you no longer own, mark the envelope Return To Sender (R.T.S.) with a date advising 'Property Sold – DD/MM/YY'. Council records can only amended our official record of ownership, following receipt of a transfer document detailing the changes to the certificate of title from NSW Land Registry Services.
Once a purchaser’s solicitor/bank lodges the advice with NSW Land Registry Services, they will notify council directly. Sometimes there can be a delay of anywhere up to 8 weeks depending on how quickly the documents are lodged with NSW Land Registry Services.
We recommend that you contact your solicitor to ensure the appropriate documents have been lodged with NSW Land Registry Services, as you remain responsible for all rates and charges until the actual title of the property has been changed.
Land valuations are supplied by the NSW Valuer General’s Office.
All properties within the Shoalhaven are re-valued every three (3) years. The last revaluation of the Shoalhaven local government area occurred in 2022, for valuation base date 01 July 2022. Council will use these land values for rating for the three years: 2023/24, 2024/25 and 2025/26.
Annual valuations granted by the Valuer General for the purpose of land tax cannot be used for the purpose of levying property rates.
Councils do not determine the land value of your property. Land is valued by the NSW Valuer General. These valuations are conducted for Shoalhaven City Council every three (3) years and you will receive a valuation notice from them after it is completed.
If you do not agree with the land value, you have sixty (60) days from the date of assessment to object to the Valuer General. Refer to the Valuer Generals website for more on land values and the objection process.
Valuation objections and/or appeals
All objections and/or appeals regarding the valuation of land must be directed to the Valuer General’s Office. Council cannot alter a valuation without instruction from the Valuer General.
If you lodge an objection or have an objection pending, you must still pay your rates while your objection is being considered.
Once the objection is determined and Council is advised of the amended land value, the rates will be adjusted, and the ratepayer advised.
For further information go to the Valuer General website.
Interest accrues on rates and annual charges that remain unpaid after the due date.
In 2024/25, the interest rate is 10.5% per annum, calculated daily.
- The interest charge is simple interest (not compounding interest) calculated daily on the overdue amount
- The amount of interest charged each year is noted on your rate notice and can vary each year
- The maximum interest rate is determined each year by the Minister for Local Government and is subsequently adopted by the elected Council.
We encourage ratepayers to pay their rates by the due date, however, we do understand there may be circumstances where this is not possible due to genuine financial hardship. Rates must be paid in full by 31 August every year unless paying by instalments.
Council has a Debt Recovery Policy in place to guide the process (steps/action) taken to recover monies owed.
Council staff do not have the resources to personally contact ratepayers if a payment is not received.
The responsibility remains with the ratepayer to make their payments on time or contact Council and advise them of any problems so arrangements or an agreement can be put in place.
Council recognises that some ratepayers may experience financial difficulties in meeting their rate commitments on time.
A ratepayer at any time may make arrangements to pay off their outstanding accounts by regular payments, subject to the following guidelines:
- All agreements must be in writing and signed
- The amount and frequency of the payments under the agreement are to be acceptable to Council
- Agreements should, where possible, seek to have the outstanding rates and annual charges cleared by the end of the current financial year
- Current rates and charges are to be paid when they fall due in addition to the arrangement plan where possible
- All arrangements are in accordance with Council policy and will be reviewed on regular basis
To apply for An agreement to pay rates and charges, simply complete the application and return it to Council.
Financial distress arrangements
Council can also provide a hardship application for those people in severe financial distress.
The hardship provision is only applicable for the property you reside in, it does not cover vacant land or investment properties.
To discuss the provisions for hardship contact our Revenue Management Team.
It is the policy of Shoalhaven City Council to only accept a change of address in writing for the protection of the property owner.
If you have changed your name or would like to add another name and would like Council to amend its records, you will need to change the ownership name on the certificate of title, this will need to be changed through your solicitor or directly with NSW Land Registry Services who will then inform Council.
You can contact NSW Land Registry Services on 1300 396 076
The Local Government Act 1993 allows all property owners to contribute to the current and future provisions of waste services.
The Act requires councils to levy an annual charge for providing domestic waste management services to all parcels of rateable land for which the service is available, whether or not it is actually used.
Your weekly service is for either the standard 120 litre landfill bin, an 80 litre landfill bin, or a 240 litre landfill bin, along with a 240 litre recycling bin, which is collected fortnightly.
Waste collection bins remain the property of the Council and must not be removed from the property when you relocate. Vacant blocks of land are charged a vacant land waste service availability charge in accordance with the Local Government Act where the waste service is/could be available.
The NSW State Government introduced a levy on waste collection a few years ago and this portion of your total waste management charge appears separately on your rate notice for easy identification.
Pro rata adjustments due to changes in bin sizes will apply on a weekly basis from the date of change, following advice from the Waste Services Department.
If you are unsatisfied with the size of your bin and would like it changed, view our page on changing bin size.
2024/25 bin sizes and applicable charges
| Charge name |
Amount |
| 80 litre domestic waste charge |
$383.00 |
| 120 litre domestic waste charge |
$505.00 |
| 240 litre domestic waste charge |
$871.00 |
| Vacant land service availability charge |
$109.00 |
For more information view our page on bin sizes and costs, or contact Recycling and Waste Services.
Stormwater is rainwater that flows off land. When it rains, some stormwater is collected from your roof, driveways or paved and landscaped areas. It flows over land, or through the pipes and drains to the existing public stormwater system and into our creeks.
All levels of Government have acknowledged that traditional funding sources are not enough to maintain key public infrastructure in an adequate and safe condition. The State Government amended the Local Government Act a few years ago to provide councils with the ability to implement a program of major improvements to stormwater management, funded by a stormwater levy.
This decision reflects the fact that councils need additional funds beyond their usual budget, to be able to undertake this large amount of work.
Shoalhaven City is one of the high population growth areas in NSW, this leads to development pressure in the city’s urban areas, many of which are located close to the city’s main water bodies such as rivers, bays, lakes and the ocean.
Additional development can lead to increasing nutrient and sediment loads to the creeks, rivers and estuaries. This potential is compounded by the increase in population during holiday periods.
Therefore, Shoalhaven City Council has developed a plan to provide more effective management of our urban stormwater, thereby contributing to environmental protection.
The stormwater management plan covers all urban areas in the city with a resident population that exceeds 1,000 people.