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:
The charges levied on customers and land for waste collection services are itemised by management cost and services received, in the table on the next page. Total cost to customers will vary based on property type and choice of bins and sizing.
The waste management charge also appears on rates notices. This charge primarily meets the costs of providing waste transfer stations, waste education, litter bin collections and other waste management programs that are not directly associated with kerbside collections and subsequent disposal associated with individual rateable properties.
All charges have increased by the general rate. Some charges have necessarily increased by slightly more than the general rate as described below.
The cost to provide recycling services has increased due to contamination in Australian recycling streams and disruption of recycling market supply chains in Australia and abroad. The recycling services charges have been forced to increase by slightly above the general increase, being on average less than $2 per year per bin, and less than $1.50 for most customers (a 3% increase in general).
The cost to deliver services to rural customers has always been higher than the cost to deliver the same service to urban customers, and currently these customers are somewhat subsidised by urban customer charges. The Waste Strategy also flags improvements in rural collection services, bin bank services and expansion of services for rural customers in the future. Rural customers will experience a 3% increase above the general increase for weekly landfill services to reduce the subsidy provided by urban customers and enable a path to improved services overall.
Annual residential, rural and multi-unit dwelling waste management charges meet the reasonable costs of the service for those customers for waste collection and the associated waste disposal, processing, and 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 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 2020-2021 is $8,357,465.
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 2020-2021 is $228,000.
Annual commercial waste charges meet the costs of the service for commercial customers for waste collection and the associated waste disposal, processing and 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 2020-2021 is $789,458
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
