Frequently Asked Questions

General Rate: Base Rate plus the Ad Valorem (Rate in the dollar x Land Valuation)

• All Rateable properties are charged a General Rate which consists of two components: A Base Rate and and Ad Valorem (Rate in the Dollar x Land Valuation.
• For 2025/2026 the Base Rate for Business, Farmland and Residential is $608.00 and the Ad Valorem is 0.00211421

Waste Management Charge: is levied on all properties to cover the shared costs of waste collection in public areas such as Parks and Gardens and shopping areas etc. Also for the cost of ensuring all waste facilities are compliant with EPA legislation.

Waste Collection Services: This charge applies to rateable assessments within the Kerbside Collection Area where the domestic kerbside waste service is available.

Onsite Sewer Management Renewal Fee: Properties that have an Onsite Sewage System Management (OSSM) (e.g. septic tank, aerobic and worm systems) pay an annual renewal fee. The fee outlined above does not cover the initial approval to install or operate a sewage management system, transfer of approval to operate – when a new owner takes over a system, re-inspection fees required if a system requires review, consulting fees or administration fees applicable to any notice that may have been issued. The Short name for the Onsite Sewage Management System Charge that allows onsite disposal of effluent is – OSSM.

Stormwater Management Charge: In accordance with Section 496A of the Local Government Act, 1993 Council levy an annual Stormwater Management Charge of $20 per annum for each parcel of rateable (occupied) land for which the service is available within the former Bombala/Delegate Council areas. Council do not currently levy an annual Stormwater Management Charge in either the Cooma Monaro or Snowy River regions. 

Rates are levied for the period 1 July to 30 June and are payable on the following dates:

Services provided by Council include:

• Parks and gardens, and open spaces
• Sportsgrounds and Ovals
• Bridges
• Roads operations
• Footpaths
• Carparks
• Stormwater drainage
• Public amenities
• Quarry operations
• Cemetery operations
• Water and wastewater operations
• Community buildings
• Halls
• Sale yards
• Community services management
• Home Care Packages administration
• Commonwealth Home Support Programme
• Libraries
• Swimming pools
• Caravan parks
• Waste management services
• Risk management

The calculation of the General Rate is the same for all Rating Categories except the sub-category Business - Electricity Generation. A change to Zoning will not affect this calculation.

At least once every three years, the Valuer General provides land values to local councils in NSW.

Councils use land values to help distribute rates across their local government areas. Rates are annual or regular charges that landowners pay to councils. They are used to fund local services and infrastructure.

The Valuer General issues new land values to councils for rating at least once every three years in line with the Valuation of Land Act 1916. 

All land in the Snowy Monaro Regional Council area will be revalued as at 1 July 2025. Land owners will receive a Notice of Valuation late in 2025. These valuations will be used to calculate the General Rate in the financial years 2026/2027 and 2027/2028.

The Notice of Valuation will include information on how to object . The following link includes further detail: https://www.nsw.gov.au/housing-and-construction/land-values-nsw/resource-library/understanding-land-valuation-objection-process

The following link includes information on how land values work in NSW: https://www.nsw.gov.au/housing-and-construction/land-values-nsw/resource-library/land-values-factsheet

• The rate peg is the maximum percentage amount by which a council may increase its general income for the year. The Rate Peg is determined by IPART (Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal NSW). 
• To cover the increasing costs of providing services to the community, SMRC applied to the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) for a Special Rate Variation (SRV) in 2023. IPART approved a SRV of 52.48% over 4 years. This included an increase of 12.25% in 2023-24, then increases of 10.75% per year for 2024-25, 2025-26 and 2026-27.The Rate peg is included in, not additional to the SRV.

No – Council can only increase the General Rate by the approved Rate Peg or SRV regardless of land values.

The calculation of the General Rate is adjusted to ensure only the Permissible Income is raised.

Yes, you can manage your own payment schedule using Council’s online payment portal: https://pay.snowymonaro.nsw.gov.au

If you are unable to make payments by the due date, please contact Council as soon as possible to agree on a payment plan.

All NSW councils give a mandatory rebate to eligible pensioners of up to $250 off ordinary rates, $87.50 off water charges and $87.50 off sewer charges.

You are an eligible pensioner if you are liable to pay the rates and charges on a property, which is your sole or principal residence, and you have a current pensioner concession card issued by Centrelink, or you have a current pensioner concession card issued by the Department of Veterans' Affairs.

Yes, an approved Hardship Application will allow interest accrual to be placed on hold while an approved payment arrangement is in place.

If people have multiple properties in the same ownership and rating category, they may be amalgamate properties by applying to the Valuer General.

If approved, Council will receive relevant documentation and this would reduce the number of Base Rates and Waste Management Charges applied to the new amalgamated property.