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Home>Your Property>Rates & Valuations
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 General Rates - Differential Rating System
Municipal Charge
Waste Management Charges
Change of Ownership
Change of Address
Property Valuations
Other Users of Council Valuations
Objecting to a Valuation
Objection Review Process
Valuation Appeal Process
| General Rates - Differential Rating System | |
Council levies a General Rate on all rateable properties using the Differential Rating process whereby 'different' levels of rating are applied to the various property types ie Residential, Commercial, Industrial, Vacant Land, Rural.
The Differential Rating levels have been developed to ensure that the Council's rating system is as fair and equitable as possible in distributing the total rate assessment across all property owners or service consumers.
The general rate on your property is calculated by multiplying the Capital Improved Value (CIV) by the rate in the dollar which applies to your differential rating category.
The adopted differental rates for the 2009/10 year are as follows:
Residential (Benalla) - 0.00428
Residential (Other) - 0.00372
Business - 0.00578
Vacant(Benalla) - 0.00822
Vacant(Other) - 0.00539
Rural (Farmland) - 0.00321
Rural (Non-Farming) - 0.00347
Cultural & Recreation - 0.00325
Differential Rating Categories and Level of Rating Applied in the 2009/10 year are as follows:
Residential (Benalla) - Base - 100%
Residential (Other) - 87% of Base
Business - 135% of Base
Vacant(Benalla) - 192% of Base
Vacant(Other) - 126% of Base
Rural (Farmland) - 75% of base
Rural (Non-Farming) - 81% of Base
Cultural & Recreation - 76% of Base
Council reviews the range of Differential Rating Categories and the level of rating applied to each category, as part of the Annual Budget and Rates process.
The Proposed Budget, which incorporates the proposed new rating levels, is advertised in the Benalla Ensign, seeking feedback and submissions from the community. Once the budget submissions are received and have been considered by Council, the Budget is adopted by Council and the rating levels determined and set for the financial year.
Sample general rate calculations:
Residential(Benalla) - CIV $220,000 x 0.00428 = $941.60
Business - CIV $250,000 x 0.00578 = $1,445.00
Rural(Farmland) - CIV $650,000 x 0.00321 = $2,086.50 Top
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| Municipal Charge | |
This is a fixed amount levied on all rateable properties to cover some of the administrative or fixed running costs of the Council.
The charge for the current year remains unchanged at $191.00 and ensures that all properties, regardless of their size or valuation, contributes the same amount towards the operation of the Council.
Farmers in receipt of multiple rate notices may apply for an exemption in certain circumstances, to ensure that only one rate notice is levied this charge.
Applications for exemption must be lodged within 21 days of receiving your annual rate notice.Top
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| Waste Management Charges | |
A weekly waste collection service is provided to urban and rural households. In addition a fortnightly kerbside recycling service operates in Benalla and drop-off points are establised in various Townships and rural localites.
Council encourages and promotes responsible waste disposal and recycling with the provision of alternate Mobile Bin sizes to suit the needs of the property owner. The following bin sizes and annual fees are appliciable in the 2009/10 rating year:
40 lt Mobile Garbage Bin - $100.00 p.a
80 lt Mobile Garbage Bin - $100.00 p.a
140 lt Mobile Garbage Bin - $225.00 p.a
240 lt Mobile Garbage Bin - $325.00 p.a
Additional Recycling Bin - $80.00 p.a
An opportunity is available in May each year to enable property owners wishing to alter their bin size to do so prior to the commencement of the new years billing cycle.Top
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| Change of Ownership | |
Council must receive written notification of changes of ownership following the sale of a property. A formal 'Notice of Disposition'or 'Notice of Acquisition' completed by the vendor/purchaser or solicitor acting for the vendor/purchaser is required.
Liability for rates levied on a property which are overdue become the responsibility of the new owners unless arrangements are made for payment on settlement. Top
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| Change of Address | |
To enable effective communication with property owners, prompt written advice to Council is required to enable your correct residential and postal address to be recorded.
All departments within the Council will access this central names register to ensure contact with you is prompt and efficient.Top
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| Property Valuations | |
The Council uses the value of your property to determine the general rates payable on your property. Licensed Contract Valuers are engaged by the Council to supply these valuations which are reviewed on a bi-annual basis.
This new system has been in place since 2000 when a process improvement titled 'Valuation Best Practice' was adopted by Council's across Victoria. An expanded range of data elements and improved property descriptions were put in place to enable Valuers to provide ongoing accurate valuation data.
All properties are valued at a common 'level of value date' with the current revaluation being as at 1 January 2008.
The General Valuation process is supervised by the Valuer General who is required to certify that the valuation levels applied are 'generally true and correct'. These updated valuations will be used for rating purposes in the 2008/09 and 2009/10 years.
The Council's Contract Valuers are currently inspecting properties in various parts of the municipality as part of the 2010 General Valuation which is due to be finalised by 31 March 2010, with all valuations being updated to reflect market values as at 1 January 2010.
These new valuations will be used by Council in the 2010/11 and 2011/12 financial years.
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| Supplementary Valuations | | Supplementary valuations can be made during the course of the rating year to increase your property value, normally as the result of new dwellings, other larger sheds or swimming pools or due to the subdivision or consolidation of parcels of land.
Additional rates levied are calculated pro-rata from the date of the revised valuations as supplied by the Council's Valuers.
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| Other Users of Council Valuations | |
The Valuation of Land Act (1960) enables other authorities to use one of the valuations for the purpose of levying a rate or tax.
The Council supplies the Site Value of your property to the State Revenue Office for the purpose of levying Land Tax where appliciable.
Further information on the use of valuations for land tax can be found on the State Revenue Office website - www.sro.vic.gov.auTop
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| Objecting to a Valuation | |
Property owners have the right under the Valuation of Land Act (1960) to object to the valuation of their property.
Objection forms must be lodged with the Council within two (2) months of the issue of the annual valuation and rate notice, with the final date this year is 31 October 2009.
Valid grounds for lodging a valuation objection are:
- that the value assigned is too high or too low.
- that the interests held by various persons in the land have not been correctly apportioned.
- that the apportionment of the valuation is not correct.
-that the lands that should be included in one valuation have been valued separately.
- that lands which should be valued separately have been included in one valuation.
- that the person named in the notice of valuation, assessment notice or other document is not liable to be so named.
- that the area, dimensions or description of the land are not correctly stated in the notice of valuation, assessment notice or other document.
Before lodging an objection, property owners are encouraged to discuss their concerns with the Council's Rates staff, who will advise on and clarify the review process.
Valuation Objection forms submitted will be forwarded to the Council's Contract Valuers who will arrange an interview with you at the Civic Centre, to discuss and resolve your concerns.
Formal notification of the Valuers decision will be provided following your meeting and recommended valuation changes must be approved by the Valuer General Victoria.
Please note that rates assessed must still be paid by the relevant instalment due dates whilst this review process is being completed. Normal penalty interest, currently 10%, applies to overdue amounts.Top
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| Objection Review Process | |
Council is committed to ensuring that your Valuation Objection is resolved in a timely and co-operative manner.
Once the objection has been received it will be referred to the Council's Valuer to review. The Valuer must complete this review within 4 months and provide you with the opportunity to discuss the objection. This may involve an arranged meeting on site, at the Council Offices or a telephone contact.
Council encourages its Contract Valuers to finalise all Valuation Objections as soon as possible to ensure an agreed resolution is obtained in a timely manner. This timetable may extend if the Valuer has committed staff resources to other Councils or for General Valuation works which ocurr on a two yearly cycle.
In previous years, objections have been resolved prior to the end of December, with any rate adjustments made in the 3rd instalment which is due for payment by the 28 February, in anticipation of the Valuer General's approval being received.
Once the Valuer has made his/her decision, either a 'Notice of Recommendation' to alter the valuations or a 'Notice of Disallowance' will be issued to the property owner, the Council and the Valuer General's office.
The Valuer General must review the Council Valuers decision and either confirm or reject within a further period of 2 months.
Payment of rates as assessed must still be made until such time as an amended notice is issued following approval of the new valuations by the Valuer General.Top
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| Valuation Appeal Process | |
Should an objector be dissatisfied with the Valuer's determination of the objection, or:
- if 2 months has passed since lodgement of the objection and the Council has not acted; or
- if 2 months has passed since a recommendation for adjustment has been referred to the Valuer General and the Valuer General has not acted -,
then the objector can refer this matter to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT)or to treat this matter as an appeal to be heard in the Supreme Court.Top
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