Rates
Pay Rates Online
Welcome to Council's Pay Rates Online Service. Council currently provides a rate payment service through the Internet using:
Other Rate Payment Options
1) Set Up a Direct Debit Account with The Hills Shire Council - 'Set and Forget'
This method allows us to debit your bank, credit union or building society account.
Payments of your rate account via Direct Debit can be quarterly; or payment in full; or by an agreed arrangement with Council of weekly, fortnightly, monthly, or ad-hoc payments. The amount payable will be automatically deducted from your nominated account on the due date for payment.
Direct Debit Request and Service Agreement (380.39kB)
You can submit this form by mail, fax or in person. Refer to Section 6 of this PDF for details.
2) Centrelink by Centrepay
If you are a Centrelink customer and wish to use Centrepay to pay your rates, please ask our Customer Service staff for a Centrelink form called Centrepay deductions. This form is also available from Centrelink offices. Centrepay is a voluntary, free service to Centrelink customers. The money you specify is transferred from your Centrelink payments, pensions and allowances. You may choose to start, stop, or change your deductions at any time.
Council’s Centrepay Reference Number is: 555 054 318H
Note: This service can only be used for payments of $20 or more.
3) Payment by Mail
Simply include your cheque or money order payable to the Hills Shire Council, together with the detachable deposit slip portion of the rate notice, to:
The General Manager
The Hills Shire Council
Locked Bag No 15
DARLINGHURST NSW 1300
Note - PLEASE DO NOT USE STAPLES
This Locked Bag address is for rate payments only. Other correspondence should be posted to Council's Administration Office – PO Box 75, Castle Hills NSW 2154.
Payments are processed by Council’s bank. No receipt will be issued.
4) Pay in Person
Bring your intact rate notice to Council’s Customer Service Centre at 129 Showground Road, Castle Hill. You can pay by cash, cheque or EFTPOS. MasterCard, Visa or American Express cards are accepted. A credit card fee of 1% applies.
Payment can also be made at Council’s libraries at Baulkham Hills, Castle Hill, Carlingford, Dural and the Vinegar Hill Memorial Library at Rouse Hill, during their opening hours. You can pay by cheque or EFTPOS. MasterCard, Visa or American Express cards are accepted. A credit card fee of 1% applies.
Cash is not accepted at Council’s libraries for rate payments.
5) Pay by Phone
Call 1300 305 109 and quote the Assessment Number on your rate notice. MasterCard, Visa or American Express cards are accepted. A credit card fee of 1% applies.
6) Australia Post Payment Services
In person at any Post Office.
Please present the notice intact. A paper receipt will be issued.
By phone - call 13 18 16.
Pay 24 hours a day, 7 days per week for the cost of a local call, with the exception of mobile phones, which will be charged at mobile phone rates. Phone payments through a cheque or savings account will require the completion of a DDR bank authority form, which is a once only registration.
By credit card via the phone (13 18 16) or internet.
MasterCard, Visa or American Express cards are accepted. A credit card fee of 1% applies.
On the Internet www.postbillpay.com.au. Please quote the POSTbillpay code of 0289 and your POSTbillpay Ref No: as per the deposit slip on the front of your rate notice.
7) BPAY
BPAY allows you the opportunity to pay over the phone, or through the Internet, from your cheque, savings, or credit card account (Bankcard, Visa MasterCard, or American Express).
To make use of this option, you must initially contact your financial institution to ensure the BPAY facility is available at that institution.
Provided you have sufficient available credit or balance, the payment will be processed and you will be issued a receipt number for the bill payment.
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Rates - Tools and Services
Rates Calculator
This calculator will help you estimate what your rates will be for a full financial year. Follow the steps below for a calculation.
- Enter the land value.
- Select a land type. There are three types within this Shire, being residential, business or farmland. These categories reflect the dominant use of the property.
- Enter your appropriate garbage type. Most residential properties have a 140L bin.
Stormwater charges applied. The amount for the stormwater charge will be $25.00 per residence or $12.50 for residential stratas.
NB: The rates calculator will give you an estimate only.
Receive or View Your Rate and Instalment Notices Online
Enjoy the convenience of receiving your Rate and Instalment Notices online.
- No Charge
- Have your notices emailed to you instead of posted
- Check your notices anytime
- You can print, save and email
- View notices for up to two years
Please click here to Register or View your Rate Notice Online.
Request a Hard Copy of Your Notices
A fee of $11.00 per notice is payable for a copy of your Rate notice, a Statement of Account, or a copy of your Instalment notice. These can be obtained by contacting Council’s Rates Section on 9843 0499.
Changing Your Postal Address
Notification must be in writing, we cannot accept notifications of change of address over the telephone. Please use Council's online customer e-request system or the Change of Customer Contact Details Form (Name & Address) - post to PO Box 75, Castle Hills NSW 1765, or email to council@thehills.nsw.gov.au, or fax to 02 9843 0409.
If your current postal address is different from the address shown on the front of the Rate Notice, please notify us immediately in writing by fax, post or email.
If you have an agent managing your property they may advise us directly in writing on your behalf.
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Rates - General Information
What are rates?
Rates are a property tax levied on the land value (as determined by the Valuer General). There are two types of rates - ordinary and special. Council must levy ordinary rates on the following land categories reflecting the dominant use of the land - residential, farmland and business. The Hills Shire Council’s rating structure is based on a two-part structure consisting of an ad-valorem amount and a base amount.
Why have rates?
The Hills Shire Council needs income to carry out services for the local community. The main sources of Council's income are rates, fees and charges, grants, borrowings and investments. Council is required by law to impose rates but has considerable flexibility in working out the mix of income sources.
Pensioner Rebates
If you are a pensioner and hold a current Pensioner Concession Card and are liable for rates and charges on your property and your rebate has not been automatically deducted, you may be eligible for a rebate on your rates. The property must also be your sole or principal place of residence.
To apply for this rebate for the first time you should complete and return the Pensioner Concession Application form (below) together with a photocopy of your Pensioner Concession Card. Future rebates will be fully automated.
The rebate varies from one property to another and will be calculated at the time the application is made. The rebate for a full year from 1 July to 30 June will be based on 50% of the rate levy to a maximum of $250. Pro rata rebates are available and will be calculated for each full quarter following the quarter in which the pensioner becomes eligible.
Eligible on or before 1 July full rebate $250
Eligible on or before 1 October rebate $187.50
Eligible on or before 1 January rebate $125
Eligible on or before 1 April rebate $62.50
Pensioner Concession Application Form (PDF)
Applying for a Pensioner Concession Information Sheet (PDF)
Hardship Relief
If you are not an eligible pensioner, you may still be eligible for special hardship rate relief. Please complete and return the form below, to Council. Your application will then be assessed.
Pensioner Concession Hardship Rate Relief Application Form (PDF)
If you require further information on hardship relief, please contact Council’s Rate Section on (02) 9843 0499.
Interest Charges on unpaid rates and charges payments
Interest accrues on a daily basis at the rate of 11% per annum for the current financial year, on rates and charges payments that remain unpaid after they become due and payable.
Application to Postpone Rate Payment
You may apply for a postponement of rates if you are the person responsible for paying rates for land on which there is a single dwelling house, that is used or occupied and which is zoned for the purpose of industry, commerce or the erection of residential flat buildings;
Or
You are the person responsible for paying the rates for land, which is capable of subdivision and on which there is a single dwelling house that is used or occupied as such.
The rates postponed relate to the portion of the value that the Valuer General determines is related to its zoned or permitted use.
If you wish to discuss whether you are eligible to receive the benefit of postponed rates, or would like an application form to be sent to you, please call Council’s Rates Section on (02) 9843 0499.
Waste Management Charges
There is no State Government limitation on charges for the supply of domestic waste services. However, Council must base its charges on reasonable cost and the determination of these charges is subject to an independent audit review.
Goods and Services Tax (GST)
Ordinary and Special Rates and Domestic Waste Service charges are all exempt from the GST.
Categorisation of Land
The rating category or sub-category is shown on your Rate Notice. If you don’t agree with the category we have given your land, you or your agent can ask for a review.
A request for a review must be in writing using the "Application for Change in Category of Land Categorisation for Rating Purposes" form, which is available below or from Council’s Customer Services Centre. Alternatively you can phone Council’s Rates Section on 9843 0499 and request the form to be posted, emailed or faxed to you.
Application for Change in Category of Land Category of Land for Rating Purposes (98.20kB)
If you believe the category of your land should be farmland, the following application must be completed in addition to the 'Change in Category of Land for Rating Purposes Application Form' (above). Again these forms are also available from Council’s Customer Services Centre or by phoning Council’s Rates Section on 9843 0499.
Application for Classification of Land as Farmland (303.17kB)
Of course, if the category of your property is different to that shown on the Rate Notice, it is your obligation to notify Council of the correct category.
If you are dissatisfied with Council’s declaration of the category of your land after it has been reviewed, or the date the category of your land is to take effect, you may appeal to the Land and Environment Court within 30 days after the declaration is made.
Mixed Development Rating
In general, Mixed Development rating allows for a property to receive a combination of Residential and Business rates (providing a form of rating relief, in most cases) due to the property having dual usage. For example, a residential property may also double as a preschool, or doctor’s surgery, or solicitor’s office, etc.
If it is determined that you are entitled to Mixed Development rating, the Valuer General’s Department will supply Council with a Mixed Development Apportionment Factor (MDAF). The MDAF is determined by calculating the proportion that the notional rental value of the business part bears to the rental value of the land as a whole. The result is expressed as a percentage.
Rates and charges are apportioned according to the MDAF. If, for example, a parcel of mixed development land has an MDAF of 60%, rates and charges would be apportioned as:-Residential 40% and Business 60%.
Any additional information you may require regarding Mixed Development rating, can be obtained by contacting Council’s Rates Section on 9843 0499.
Glossary of Terms
There are some specialised terms used in rating. Some helpful terms are:
assessment - is the rate assessed on an individual rateable parcel of land.
ad valorem - means in proportion to the value. The ad valorem amount is expressed as cents in each dollar of rateable value.
ad-valorem rate - is a rate determined by multiplying the rateable value of the land (as determined by the Valuer General) by the cents in the dollar determined by Council.
base charge - is a uniform amount payable in respect of all assessments subject to a particular rate. The Base Charge is included in all rate assessments.
Privacy and Personal Information
The Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act became effective from 1 July 2000. The Act provides requirements to protect personal information. Council holds certain personal information, for example ratepayers names and addresses.
In certain situations Council may disclose personal information that it holds. This is usually in relation to the reasons for which the information was collected or for other statutory or lawful functions of other Government agencies. In addition, certain information held by Council may be regarded as public registers that are open to inspection pursuant to legislative requirements including, but not restricted to, the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009. More information on access to information here.
Council has adopted a Privacy Management Plan to deal with the protection of the privacy of individuals.
For further information on Privacy and Personal Information legislation contact Council's Public Officer on 9843 0122.
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