You can register to receive your rates and water notices electronically here.
Residents can pay online via our eServices website, or over the phone with a credit card by calling 1300 730 701 (NAB secure credit card line).
If you are experiencing financial difficulty due to Covid-19, drought, bushfires or any other matters, you can apply for rate relief here.
You will receive a rates notice and water supply notice four times a year. Rates and water supply payments are due on 31 August, 30 November, 28 February and 31 May.
If you have multiple properties you will have different reference numbers for each property. This reference number directs your payment to the appropriate account.
You will have a different customer reference number for your rates account and water account.
Pay now
We have a number of payment methods that are available for our residents.
- Pay your rates and charges online using our eservices website.
- By calling our the NAB secure credit card line on 1300 730 701 (credit card)
- Via any branch of Australia Post
- BPAY – via telephone or internet
- Cash at any of our customer service centres
We use rate income to maintain and improve services and facilities for the community. We operate under the base rating structure. Base rates enable each property to pay a similar amount for basic service provision and then the balance of the rate assessment is determined on the value of the property (excluding value of dwelling).
Rates notice
Your annual rates notice is made up of your ordinary rates plus service charges.
The ordinary rate is calculated in two parts:
- a uniform base rate for each rating category; and
- a rate in the dollar which is based on your unimproved land valuation that is provided to Council by the Valuer General.
These two parts combined are your ordinary rate.
These two parts combined are you ordinary rate. Service charges are for waste, water, sewer and stormwater. All these amounts make up your annual rates.
Water notice
We supply water to around 21,000 houses.
You are charged per KL. The amount charged per KL is set each financial year.
How do I read my water notice?
Your water notice will contain the previous meter read/date and your current meter read/date. It shows the Kilolitres used, the amount charged per KL and the total charge.
If you believe that your meter read is incorrect, you should first compare your meter against the read on the water notice. Please contact Council if the read is less than appears on your notice.
Download our information sheet on how to read your water meter(PDF, 10MB)
Rate pegging
All NSW councils operate under the rate pegging system. Councils are restricted in how much they can increase their rate base by each year. The NSW Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal determines the rate peg amount for councils. For 2021-22, the rate peg is 2%. This means that the rate base can increase by 2% (excluding additional properties). Further information can be found on the IPART website. If Council wants to increase its rate income by more than the rate peg, it must apply for the Special Rate Variation. Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council has not resolved to go down this path.
Valuation of properties
The NSW Valuer General conducts valuations of properties in NSW. The value of your property (excluding dwelling value) is used to calculate the amount of rates you pay. Depending on the outcome of the valuation, your rates charges may increase more than the rate peg amount, or may decrease. A revaluation of all NSW properties was conducted in 2019 to take effect from 1 July 2020. Further information is available on the Valuer General's website.
Download the latest Valuer General newsletter(PDF, 103KB) .
Special Rate Variation
The former Queanbeyan City Council gained approval for an ongoing Special Rate Variation of 5.8% to fund maintenance and upgrades to roads, footpaths and parks and sportsfields. A successful SRV application is the only way councils can increase their rate income above the rate peg amount. The one-off 5.8% increase was applied in 2011-12 and since then rates in the former Queanbeyan area have only increased by the rate peg amount.
Now that the NSW Valuer General has release new land values, we have an online rate calculator to help rate payers better understand the effect of the proposed increases to rates on their property.
The calculator is a great way to see how property value can affect your rate - and how a large increase in property value does not necessarily equal a large increase in your rates bill. Where some property values increased substantially more than others – their share of the total rate will increase.
The rate calculator uses new land values determined by the NSW Valuer General to show an indicative general rate for your property under each of the rate variation scenarios Council is considering.
Residents can register to receive rates instalment notices electronically from Council. There is no charge for this service and you can check your notices at any time. You can also print, save and email your information. Once registered, rates notices will no longer be sent by mail. You will receive them by email approximately one month before the due date.
Register to receive your rate notices by signing up below.
Sign up
Registered users can login from the link below.
Login
If you are having difficulty in making your payments, please contact us on 1300 735 025. We have a Financial Hardship Assistance Policy - Rates and Charges(PDF, 337KB) which you can download. The policy sets out how you can manage your outstanding amount through a payment arrangement. If you wish to consider a payment arrangement please contact us.
If you are experiencing financial difficulty as a result of COVID-19, drought or other reasons you can apply for rate relief by completing the Rate Relief Hardship Application form which can be completed online here.
Drought relief
We will be offering relief to farmers to have their rates deferred. To apply you will need to complete the Rate Relief Hardship Application form. This will be assessed and we will notify you in writing of the outcome.
We can provide assistance to farmers in the following ways:
- Financial relief to eligible farmland property owners and occupiers where action is required regarding high priority weed infestations
- Access to town water from the Bungendore, Captains Flat and Braidwood water supplies for eligible farmland properties, limited to 1000 litres per day. Water can be obtained from the following sites:
- Braidwood - Bicentennial Park
- Captains Flat - Wilkins Park
- Bungendore - near Council depot in Ellendon St
What happens if I do not pay my rates or water on time?
If you do not pay your rates on time, a Debt Recovery Agency will send a reminder notice. This occurs where debts remain outstanding for 14 days from the instalment due date and where the balance exceeds $50. If the outstanding debt is not paid within 14 days of the reminder notice, Council’s Debt Recovery Agency will proceed with the issue of a Demand Letter and where necessary, commence legal action.
Under State legislation, some pensioners are eligible for concessions. The amount of the concessions available on an annual basis are fixed by legislation. At present, this concession is limited up to $250 for ordinary rates and charges for domestic waste management services. In addition, an $87.50 rebate applies to residents in the urban area for both water and sewerage charges. This means concessions of up to $425 per annum are available. In addition to this, Council also provides up to an additional $40 per annum for eligible pensioners that live in the former Queanbeyan Local Government Area to compensate for the Special Rate Variation.
You can download the Pensioner Concession Application Form here(PDF, 335KB) .
If you receive a pension or benefit you may be eligible for a concession even though someone else may jointly own and occupy the property. To obtain further information please phone us on 1300 735 025 or download the Fact Sheet here(PDF, 105KB)
A Section 603 Certificate is applied for by the purchaser/solicitor when purchasing a property and provides information relating to the property such as:
- Property number and address
- Current owners name
- Legal description of the property
- Rates and charges levied for the current year
- Outstanding rates and charges
- Water usage account outstanding
- The cost of a Section 603 Certificate is payable on application
You can also request a combined Section 603 and special water reading certificate.
Once the certificate has been generated, you can call up to provide up-to-date information. This can be provided for up to six weeks from the date of issue shown on the certificate.
Apply online for your 603 certificate.