Council rates are a contribution each ratepayer makes towards the cost of providing facilities and  services to the community. How much you pay depends on the value of your property.

These services include maintenance of foreshore and parks, library services, roads, health, sanitation, building control and operation of recreational facilities.

All Local Governments since 2003/04 are required to collect the “Emergency Services Levy” (ESL) for FESA.  

This levy is to fund the career Fire and Rescue Service, Volunteer and Rescue Service, Bush Fire Brigade, SES units and FESA units throughout Western Australia.

For more information about this levy please call FESA on 1300 136 099 or visit FESA website at http://www.fesa.wa.gov.au/

Anyone owning residential, vacant, industrial or commercial property in South Perth is a ratepayer of the City and is required to pay rates and the Emergency Service Levy.

Some government bodies, educational and registered charitable organisations are exempt from paying Council rates.

All properties with a rubbish services pay rubbish service fees.

For the 2008/2009 financial year  the City of South Perth rate in the dollar is 6.000 cents. The Rate in the Dollar is used to calculate your rates.

The Valuer General's Office (VGO) determines the Gross Rental Value (GRV) of a property.  GRV is based on the  Valuer General’s estimate of the total rent (full year) that may be received from a given property.

Should you believe that his assessment of  your GRV for your property is too high, you may object to the Valuer General to have your property reassessed.  However, it should be recognised that this could result in you GRV increasing further. Rates must still be paid by the due date and any adjustment would be made after the VGO re-assessment.

Rates for each property are determining by multiplying the City’s ‘rate in the dollar' by the Gross Rental Value (GRV) of the property.

For example:
In the 2008/2009 financial year, the South Perth ‘rate in the dollar’ is 0.06. This means that 6 cents will be levied as rates for every dollar of GRV assigned to a property.

The Valuer General may determine that a brick and tiled house in South Perth which contains 4 bedrooms, lounge, kitchen, bathrooms, laundry, and double carport could attract a rent after basic expenses of $450 per week. Rent of $450 per week multiplied by 52 weeks per year gives a Gross Rental Value of $23,400.

GRV = $450 x 52 = $23,400

The rates to be levied against that particular property would be:

Rates = $23,400 x 0.06 = $1,404.60

Gross Rental Value of $23,400 multiplied by the rate in the dollar of 0.06 gives the value of rates for the property of $1,404.00.

The Emergency Services Levy (ESL) which is payable to FESA not the the City of South Perth, levied against that particular property would be:

ESL = $23,400 x 0.0117 = $273.78 (this is above the ESL maximum of $215.00 for 2008/09)

Gross Rental Value of $23,400 multiplied by the rate in the dollar of 0.0117 gives the value of ESL for the property of $215.00.

A separate charge is levied for a Rubbish Service for each property for the year. This covers both a weekly 240 litre household rubbish pick-up plus a fortnightly co-mingled recycling pick up.

A Swimming Pool fee may appear on your notice if you have a swimming pool or spa.

This year the City of South Perth minimum rate is $620.00.  This applies only to the council rates portion of your bill.

FESA has set an ESL  minimum rate of $40 and a maximum rate of $215.00 this financial year.

The City has endeavoured to provide a wide variety of convenient payment methods for its ratepayers.

Payment methods available for payment of rates include:

The City welcomes payment by Cash, Cheque or Money Order. We have EFTPOS facilities (No Cash Out) and accept Master Card & Visa Card but NOT American Express or Diners Club.

As an incentive for making prompt payment participating ratepayers have the opportunity to win one of a number of exciting prizes offered each year. To be eligible to participate, a ratepayer must pay their current year's rates (plus any outstanding arrears) in full by the first due date.

Registered pensioners are eligible to enter upon payment of their rates less the amount of the Pensioner Rebate.

For more information on the Early Payment Incentive Scheme click here.

In accordance with the requirements of the Local Government Act (1995) and the Local Government Financial Management Regulations (1996), Council offers ratepayers a choice of payment of rates by either one, two or four instalments. To offset the cost of offering the instalment option the Local Government Act charges an instalment costs.
 
To qualify for the instalment option the ratepayer must pay any arrears and the full amount of the first instalment by the first due date.

The payment must be received by the City by close of business on that date. No responsibility can be taken for any delays encountered in the delivery of the mail.

The due dates for payment of rates by instalments for the 2008/2009 rating year are

The instalment option is not available when you paid late. This is a very complex issue in which the City has very little discretion as it is controlled by State legislation.  The City is specifically prevented from allowing late instalment payments under Local Government Act Section 6.45 and Regulation 60 after the due date for the first instalment.

However, the City recognises that people sometimes inadvertently overlook the due date or underestimate the time which mail takes to reach its destination. 

When the City receives a rates payment too late to qualify for the instalment payment option under the Local Government Act, it has been determined that the most practical compromise for all parties is to accept the payment as the first instalment of an informal payment arrangement which just happens to have the same due dates as would have existed under the approved instalment payment scheme.

This offers a number of benefits

In return for this the ratepayer must simply accept responsibility for making the payments on the due date as there is no reminder notice issued.

The City is happy to allow this informal payment arrangement which can be effected simply by notifying the City's Rates Officers by e-mail or on 9474-0777 that the ratepayer will be making the remaining payments on the advertised due dates for instalments.

However, the City will not give consideration to the waiving of interest charges.  The ratepayer will have to call to obtain a final pay out figure if they choose this option.

The City of South Perth understands that sometimes people experience financial hardship which makes it difficult to meet all of their financial commitments when they are due.

Please contact the City's Rates Officers on 9474-0777 to arrange a suitable payment arrangement to settle the rates debt by 30 June. Click here to obtain a Rates Payment Arrangement Application Form

Interest will continue to accrue on these arrangements as per any overdue debt.  It is essential before making the final payment to obtain the final payment amount from the City.

The Pensions and Seniors Concessions brochure is available from the front counter of the City of South Perth Administration Centre or click on the link below to download a copy .
Pensions and Seniors Concessions brochure

Some ratepayers may receive amended rate notices during the year called Interim Rates Notices. These notices are required to be issued if the Valuer General's Office considers that the Gross Rental Value (GRV) of a ratepayers' property has changed.

Typical events which could trigger a revaluation and the need to issue an Interim Rates Notice include:

Your Interim Rates Notice will show the reason for the amendment and effective date of the valuation

To ensure that the many ratepayers who pay their rates accounts to the City by the due dates are not disadvantaged, the City of South Perth has resolved that it will charge interest on rates balances which remain unpaid after the due date.

The City of South Perth current interest amount is set at 11% per annum (0.0301% per day) calculated daily on amounts overdue.

To protect ratepayers against unauthorised changes of address in the City's records, we require all Changes of Address to be notified in writing.

Click here to obtain a  Change of Address Notification Form and sending it by facsimile to 9474 2425 or by mail to City of South Perth, Sandgate Street, South Perth WA 6151.  Changes of Address can also be sent via email to our   Property address and Assessment Number (If known) should be quoted in the email.

The owner of a property must inform the City should there be any change in their ownership details.  In most cases your settlement agent will inform the City.  To protect ratepayers against unauthorised changes in ownership must be given in writing, with supporting documentation. E.g. Certificate of title.

Click here to obtain a Change of Ownership Notification Form (Please remember to include accompanying documentation) and sending it by facsimile to 9474 2425 or by mail to City of South Perth, Sandgate Street, South Perth WA 6151.

Any objection against the valuation must be made in writing within 60 days of issue to:
Valuer General's Office
18 Mount Street
Perth WA 6000

Where an objection to the Valuer General has been made, the full amount of rates is still due and payable 35 days from date of issue of the rate notice. Any decision resulting from the objection or subsequent Land Tribunal hearing will be retrospectively adjusted.

Once every 3 years the Valuer Generals Office (VGO) revalues all Gross Rental Values (GRV) in the City Metro Area.  The VGO does this to keep all values at current market value.  Western Australia has had approximately a 30-35% increase in rental values over the last 5 years.  The last revaluation was in 2005/2006 - so 2008/2009 is also a revaluation year.

An example of how this works is:

 A 4 bedroom 2 car port house in South Perth use to earn about $350 per week rent about 3 years ago.  There has been a further revaluation since then. The VGO believes that the same property can now get well above $450 per week.  That means the GRV for this property use to be:

$300 x 52 = $15,600

Now the GRV would be:

$450 x 52 = $23,400

To allow for this significant increase in  GRVs, the City has revised its rate in the dollar down after the revaluation to mitigate the impact of the increase.  Depending on extent of  increase in the GRV of a particular property - it is still possible that even after the  drop in rate in the dollar certain properties will experience an increase in rates.  However, many ratepayers will enjoy either a decrease in rates or only a small increase.

There are only 2 reasons under the Local Government Act 2005 which allow for an objection to rates. 

Unless either of these two criteria are met, there is a legal obligation to pay the debt. Interest is charged on outstanding amounts.