My Property & Neighbourhood / Rates & Charges / Rates explained
Sections 496 and 504 the Local Government Act 1993 provide that the domestic waste management services of the Council must be financed by specific annual charges made and levied for that purpose alone. Section 501 of the Act allows Council to make an annual charge for waste management services (other than domestic waste management services). The Act prevents Council from applying ordinary rate income towards meeting the cost of domestic waste management services, nor can it use waste charge income for non-waste related functions.
The term ‘domestic waste management service’ relates to the services that comprise the periodic collection of waste, generated on domestic premises, from individual parcels of rateable land and the services associated with recycling activities provided to these properties.
The functions of domestic waste management services carried out by Council include, but are not limited, to the following:
Council has introduced a new FOGO service which will continue to be implemented and expanded. The charges levied on premises for waste collection services will be itemised to clearly reflect the cost of collection and disposal services provided to individual ratepayers subject to property type and choice of bin sizing. A fixed charge for waste management will also appear on rates notices, and this charge primarily meets the costs of providing waste transfer stations, waste education, litter bin collections and other waste management programmes that are not directly associated with kerbside waste collection, recycling and disposal associated with individual rateable properties.
Annual residential, rural and multi-unit dwelling waste management charges meet the reasonable costs of the food and garden organic waste (where available), landfill and recycling bin collections along with associated waste disposal or recycling processes.
In the serviced areas, each service entitles the user to the specified service according to the standard service or options listed, on the specified collection day. Collections will only be conducted from the Council supplied mobile garbage bin.
If further capacity is required, ratepayers/property agents can request additional services at the respective annual charge.
Each residential dwelling on a serviced residential rate assessment will also be charged one Waste Management Charge for Residential and Multi Unit Dwellings. The Waste Management Charge covers the cost of waste management services which are not directly associated with the kerbside domestic waste collection service including providing waste transfer stations, waste education, litter bin collections and other waste management programs.
The estimated total income from domestic waste management charges for 2019-2020 is $7,570,000.
In accordance with Section 575(3)(a) of the Local Government Act 1993 Council provides a reduction of 50 per cent of the domestic waste management charge provided the maximum rebate for combined rate and domestic waste management services does not exceed $250.00.
The estimated pension rebate for waste in 2019-2020 is $280,000.
Annual commercial waste charges meet the costs of the once-weekly 240-litre domestic waste collection and once-weekly 240 litres recycling service and the associated waste disposal or recycling.
In the serviced areas, each service entitles the user to the specified service according to the standard service or options listed, on the specified collection day. Collections will only be conducted from the Council supplied mobile garbage bin.
If further capacity is required, ratepayers/property agents can request additional services at the respective annual charge.
Each serviced business rate assessment will be also charged one Waste Management Charge Commercial. The Waste Management Charge covers the cost of waste management services which are not directly associated with the kerbside commercial waste collection service including providing waste transfer stations, waste education, litter bin collections and other waste management programmes. Commercial multi-unit accommodation (CMUA) including motels, nursing homes, retirement villages etc. are charged one Commercial Waste Management charge per rate assessment by default. It is up to the ratepayer to request additional services or to reduce their current services.
The estimated total rate income for commercial waste management charges in 2019-2020is $833,315.
For more detail on the rates and charges, please view the Revenue Policy (Section 3 of the Delivery/Operational Plan). read more...
Bega Valley Shire Council
