2024-25 Rate Increase
In the past, Latrobe Council has been the second lowest council in the state for its rates and annual charges per rateable property (excluding fire levy), which is demonstrated in the chart below:
This year, Council has restructured the rates notice to clearly show the cost of waste management services, which have in the past been included in the general rate, which has not been the case for our neighbouring councils.
The average general rate increase is 5.9%, with a cap of 15.0% to help limit volatility from previous revaluations and recent adjustment factors, noting that rate setting for FY2024/25 has been influenced by an adjustment to property valuations. See Adjusted Annual Value (AAV) on your rates notice.
The General Rate average weekly increase for residential ratepayers is $0.95, with a further $4.80 resulting from increases to the waste levy/ 240L bin suite.
The cap of 15.0% is applied only to the general rate.
Services delivered by Council
The breadth of services delivered by Council is extensive and multifaceted, reflecting its commitment to enhancing the quality of life for residents and supporting the overall development of the community including:
| Latrobe Property Protection | Latrobe Flood Levy |
| Facilities Management | Operations and maintenance – Bells Parade, Latrobe Memorial Hall, Banksia Centre, Hamilton Hub, Hydrotherapy Pool, Latrobe Visitors Centre, Axeman's Hall of Fame, Latrobe Football Ground redevelopment. |
| Parks | Atkinson Park, Bells Parade, Dolly Dalrymple Reserve, Dooleys Hill, Kings Park, Latrobe Recreation Ground, Perkins Park, Police Paddock, Post Office Park, St Georges Park, Station Square, Thompsons Park, Henry Somerset Orchid Conservation Area, Warrawee Reserve, Addisons Reserve, Camp Boomerang, Caravan Park, Hawley Foreshore, Lucks Reserve, North Freers Reserve, Panatana Reserve, Parkers Ford Road Community Park, Port Sorell Foreshore, Port Sorell Recreation Ground, Shearwater Foreshore, Shearwater Park and Squeaking Point Reserve. |
| Wild Mersey | World Class Mountain Bike Trails. |
| Community Development | Chocolate Winterfest, Wild Mersey Mountain Bike events, various sporting clubs and local hobby groups. |
| Stormwater Management | 120,000 metres of stormwater piping, flood mitigation, drainage, detention systems. |
| Roads | 243 km of sealed roads and 60 km of unsealed roads, 39 bridges. |
| Waste Management | 6,080 bin suites serviced. |
| Animal Control | 2,710 dogs registered. |
| Building and Regulation Services | Building and plumbing inspections. |
| Planning Services | 280 + development applications processed annually. |
Council's Rates and Charges Policy
As required by the Local Government Act, Council's policy is based on the principle that rates are a form of taxation where ratepayers of similar wealth pay similar taxes, and those with greater wealth pay more. Property value is generally accepted as an indicator of wealth, and rates are considered a property-based tax rather than a fee for service.
Frequently Asked Questions
The AAV represents an assessment of the rental value of a property or a 4 per cent minimum of the capital value (whichever is the greater value). The AAV is determined by the Valuer-General who is required to assess statutory values of all properties in Tasmania. Generally, an updated valuation of a municipality is undertaken every 6 years.
Every two years, the Valuer-General issues adjustment factors for each major category of property to make allowance for property market movements since the original municipal revaluation. Rates have been set in FY2024/25 relying on a recent adjustment provided to Council by the Valuer-General, and Council must rely on this information in setting rates when it is received.
In addition to the above municipality-wide valuations, the Valuer-General issues supplementary valuations for individual properties whenever a major change occurs to some aspect of the property (for example building improvements).
Under Council’s rating policy it applies the Assessed Annual Value (AAV) to each property, which is noted on your rate notice, which is then multiplied by the Council approved cents-in-the-dollar rate to arrive at the total general rates and other charges payable.
The capital value is the sum of money that might be realised if the land and any existing dwelling or improvements were offered for sale at a particular time. It includes both land value and the value of any buildings on the property. Council do not rely on this value in determining the rates for your property.
Rate capping limits the maximum allowable percentage increase in property rates. For 2024/25, the maximum rate cap on the general rate is 15%. This helps smooth out the impact of property revaluations over time. Please remember the cap only applied to the general rate component of your rates notice.
The rate increase cap does not apply to properties that received a supplementary valuation since 30 June 2023 due to an increase in the value of their property (usually because of property improvements).
If your property value increased more than others during the last full revaluation, or due to the recent adjustment factors applied, your general rates may have increased by more than the average.
This year, with the cap lifted above the general rate increase, the impact of past valuations is now at least partially reflected in your rates. The recent adjustment factor applied shifted the rate burden towards residential and primary production properties.
Like businesses and households, Council has also experienced cost of living pressures through price increases from suppliers for the goods and services it uses to deliver the required services to the community. In addition to price increases, rate increases are needed to fund the ongoing costs associated with the significant infrastructure investments totalling over $22 million completed in the past financial year and benefitting the community.
Key projects include the $15.5 million Latrobe Flood Mitigation Project that alone requires funding equivalent to 4.8% in rates revenue into the future, the Banksia Facilities Centre Redevelopment investment at $5.5 million and the Wild Mersey Mountain Bike Trail Suspension Bridge costing $0.8 million. These projects collectively necessitated a 2.9% increase in rate revenue for future funding. So costs have risen for Council by a collective 7.7% over the past 12 months for these projects alone.
The waste transfer station charge is $152 and applies to all properties. It covers the cost of tip tickets and access to waste transfer stations. This charge is compulsory and is spread-out over all ratepayers to cover operational costs for waste transfer stations.
Ratepayers are issued with tip tickets/vouchers for use at either the Spreyton Waste Transfer Station operated by Devonport Council, or the Port Sorell Waste Transfer Station operated by Latrobe Council. The estimated average costs of providing tip tickets/vouchers to ratepayers in 2024/25 is $202.63 per booklet.
Waste management costs will increase during 2024/25 due to factors such as price increases from contractors, environmental compliance costs, an increase in the State Waste Levy, and the introduction of a Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) collection service.
The State Government introduced the waste levy as a disincentive to sending waste to landfill, with money collected to be reinvested in improving local recycling, composting and resource recovery services, facilities and infrastructure. The waste levy is doubling from $22 per to $44 per tonne.
This levy is included in both the kerbside and transfer station charges and has been a primary driver of the prices experienced over recent years. The Council's goal with the FOGO program is to divert more waste into recycling, reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill. This initiative will help minimise cost increases for council and ratepayers, and the associated requirement to increase rates.
The weekly increase per household is $4.80 resulting from increases to the waste levy and increased services to the 240l bin suite.
For some ratepayers, total rates may have increased by more than 15% due to a combination of factors. If your property was subject to the maximum general rate cap, the addition of the newly itemised waste services charges may have further increased your total amount payable.
Waste management charges are not subject to the rate increase cap and have increased by more than 15% due to increasing waste management costs for Council. This means that even with general rate cap in place, the overall total can exceed 15% when these additional charges are included.
Council’s Financial Hardship Assistance Policy allows ratepayers to apply for assistance. Applications can be made in writing and submitted via mail or email. Council will notify applicants of its decision in writing.
A Fire Levy is on each rates notice in Tasmania. It is a charge that property owners pay to contribute to the funding of fire services in the state. This levy helps fund the Tasmania Fire Service (TFS), which is responsible for fire prevention, firefighting, and emergency response services across Tasmania. The levy is mandated by the Fire Service Act 1979, which outlines the responsibilities of property owners to contribute to fire services.