Late Payments

An initial penalty of 2% on any payment for rates that is received after the due date (applied in accordance with the Local Government Act).

A further penalty at the prescribed interest rate is added to any unpaid rates at the end of each month they continue to be unpaid. (The prescribed rate for 2023/2024 is 9.05% p.a.)

Failure to Pay

If rates remain unpaid more than 21 days after the issue of a final notice, the debt is referred to a collection agency (this process incurs additional costs to the ratepayer).

When a payment is received, the money is distributed in the following order:

• to pay any costs awarded in connection with court proceedings
• to pay any interest costs;
• to pay any fines imposed;

in payment of rates, in chronological order (starting with the oldest rate account).

Sale Of Land For Failure to Pay

The Local Government Act allows a Council to sell any property where rates have been in arrears for three years or more.