Rates Payments

Overview

Property owners are required to pay their rates, charges and levy by four instalments.

Instalments are due by:

First Instalment - 30 September

Second Instalment – 30 November

Third Instalment – 28 February

Fourth Instalment – 31 May

Payments can be made at any time before the due date.

Payment plans can be made on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis. Direct debit facilities are available. Payment plans must ensure that sufficient payments are made to clear each instalment by the due date. Penalty interest applies to late payments.

Payment Methods

You can pay your rates via:

  • BPAY
  • Australia Post (present your rates notice)
  • Phone (call 13 18 16)
  • Internet (postbillpay.com.au)
  • Mail (cheque made payable to Benalla Rural City Council and sent to: PO Box 227, BENALLA VIC 3671)
  • In person at the Customer Service Centre 
  • Direct Debit (contact the Council to arrange payments)

 

Penalty Interest

Council rates and the Victorian Government’s Fire Services Property Levy are charges to your property. Unless these charges are paid by the due date, they will bear interest at a rate of 10% per annum. Interest on arrears accrues on a daily basis until the charges are paid in full. Interest on current year rates accrues from the instalment due date until the date of payment.

Sections 27 and 28 of the Fire Services Property Levy Act 2012 allow for applications to waive or defer payment. Concessions are available.

Objection Review Process - Valuation of Land

Property owners have the right to object to the valuation of their property under the Valuation of Land Act 1960.

You must lodge any objection within two months.

If you have an objection to your valuation, you can pick up a form from the Council’s Customer Service Centre. We then refer your objection to the Valuer-General Victoria to review.

Valid grounds for lodging a valuation objection are:

  • The value assigned is too high or too low
  • The interests held by various persons in the land have not been correctly apportioned
  • The apportionment of the valuation is not correct
  • The lands that should be included in one valuation have been valued separately
  • Lands that should be valued separately have been included in one valuation
  • The person named in the notice of valuation, assessment notice or other document is not liable to be so named
  • The area, dimensions or description of the land including the Australian Valuation Property Classification Code (ACPCC) 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 an officer of the Council, who can provide advice and information about the formal review process.

The Process

The office of the Valuer-General Victoria allocates a Valuer, who has four months to complete their review and provide you with the opportunity to discuss your objection. We are committed to helping to resolve objections in a timely and cooperative manner. Meetings are arranged at our Council offices or via a telephone meeting. On-site inspections may be necessary to ensure specific issues are reviewed and resolved.

Once the Valuer has made their decision, they will issue either a ‘Notice of Recommendation’ to alter the valuation or a ‘Notice of Disallowance’. The notice will be issued to the property owner, the Council and the office of the Valuer-General Victoria. The office of the Valuer-General Victoria reviews the Valuer’s decision and either confirm or rejects the decision within a further period of two months.

Please note that rates assessed must still be paid by the relevant instalment due dates whilst this review process is being completed. Penalty interest applied to overdue amounts.

Valuation Appeal Process

If the objection review process leaves you dissatisfied, or if:

  • Four months has passed since lodgement of the objection and the Valuer has not acted
  • Two months has passed since a recommendation for adjustment has been referred to the Valuer General and the Valuer General has not acted

You can refer this matter to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) or treat this matter as an appeal to be heard in the Supreme Court.

 

Objections to Rates or Charges

You have the right to appeal to the County Court to review rates or charges imposed by the Council under Section 184 of the Local Government Act 1989.

Any appeal must be lodged within 60 days of issue of this rates notice.