What it means to be a Ratepayer

Being a property owner in the City of Mandurah requires the payment of rates each year.  Your rates provide Council with the revenue needed to manage all the services and facilities which make Mandurah a vibrant and attractive city to live in.

Each financial year – as our City’s needs change – a new budget is prepared to support the needs of the entire community.  It is in this section you will read how your rates contribute to the many initiatives planned for 2006-2007.

Rates are issued by the City each financial year, which are mailed out around August each year.

Who pays rates?

Rates must be collected from anyone who owns property in the City of Mandurah.  This area includes the suburbs of Bouvard, Clifton, Coodanup, Dawesville, Dudley Park, Erskine, Falcon, Greenfields, Halls Head, Herron, Lakelands, Madora Bay, Mandurah, Meadow Springs, Parklands, San Remo, Silver Sands and Wannanup.

Why we pay Rates

Rates are Council’s basic source of income and help pay for the many necessary services and facilities provided by the City.  These include the paths you walk or ride along every day and the playgrounds and barbecue areas available for you and your families to use.  Your Council supports varied lifestyles, which we all appreciate in Mandurah.

But it is not only ratepayers who fund the City’s projects and activities.  Council aims to keep rates as reasonable as possible by raising around half its income from investments, fees and charges and Federal and State Government grants.

Emergency Services Levy (ESL)

The Emergency Services Levy (ESL) appearing on your rates notice is an important contribution to assist our fire fighters both in an employed and volunteer capacity, for our Fire and Rescue Services, Bush Fire Brigade and the State Emergency Service.  This is not a Council charge, but is collected by local governments on behalf of the State Government.  If you have any enquires relating to the levy, please contact the Fire and Emergency Services Authority on 1300 136 099 or access their website at www.fesa.wa.gov.au

Having your say on proposed rates

Each year, Council advertises and encourages feedback on its Plans for the Future.  Council also advertises for comment on/about its proposed differential rates from the annual budgeting process.  Ratepayers are encouraged to take the opportunity to study and comment on these important documents as both have implications on the rates imposed and services provided.

How your rates help

The City of Mandurah’s total expenditure excluding depreciation for the 2006-2007 financial year is $76 million. This is funded by:

How Council Calculates Rates

Land value is an important basis of the rating system.  The WA Valuer General’s Office independently values your land, and Council uses these values to structure rate payments.  The amount of rates paid on individual properties will vary according to the Gross Rental Valuation (GRV) set by the Valuer General’s Office.

Revenue collected from property rates represents approximately 48% of Council’s revenue.  The amount to be collected from rates is the balance of Council’s expenditure requirement, less other revenues from fees, charges, grants, borrowings and transfers.

After determining this expenditure requirement Council decides the City’s rate income by setting a rate in the dollar to be levied against all properties, based on the Valuer General’s values.