Bourke Shire council rates — what you pay and when

Rates & fees

Rates are one of the ways residents fund the council — though in Bourke they are a smaller share than in most of NSW, with about two-thirds of council income coming from grants and contributions. Each year the independent regulator IPART sets a 'rate peg': the maximum percentage by which the council can lift its total rates income. Council adopted the maximum peg for 2026/2027. Bourke uses a base amount plus an ad valorem (cents-in-the-dollar) rate on land value, with separate categories for residential, farmland, business and mining — and, within residential, different base amounts for Bourke ($165 in 2026/2027), North Bourke and High Street ($133) and the villages ($47). Water, sewerage, drainage and domestic waste are levied as separate annual charges on top of the ordinary rate.

New to these terms? Read them in plain English

Rate peg: The cap on how much a council's TOTAL rates income can rise this year.
Core peg: The rate peg before the population top-up — the part driven by rising costs.
Population factor: An extra slice of the rate peg for fast-growing councils.
Special Rate Variation (SRV): Permission for a council to raise rates by more than the peg.
Land valuation: Your land's value, set by the state, used to split the rates bill between properties.
Pensioner rebate: A discount on rates for eligible pensioners.
Domestic waste charge: A separate annual fee for your bins — NOT part of the rate peg.
IPART: Sets the rate peg and reviews council pricing.

See the full explainer, with formulas →

Rates at a glance

: 4.1%Determined by IPART under s506 of the Local Government Act and adopted in full by the council — an increase of $80,169 over the previous year's general rate income. It caps the council's total rates income, not your individual bill.
: 5.0%IPART's determination for the rating year that began 1 July 2025.
: ~$414 / year (2024-25)About 66% below the NSW average of roughly $1,203, and among the lowest in NSW. Rate levels reflect land values and a council's rating structure, not service quality — see Budget & finances.
Instalment due dates: 31 August, 30 November, 28 February and 31 MayThe statutory quarterly dates under s562(3) of the Local Government Act; pay in a single instalment by 31 August if you prefer.
Overdue interest (2026-27): 9.5% per annumThe maximum set by the Minister for 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027 in OLG Council Circular 26-06 (cash rate plus 6%, rounded to the nearest half per cent); it was 10.5% in 2025-26. Note the council's own Statement of Revenue Policy 2026/2027 was adopted before the circular was issued and records the rate as still to be determined.
Hardship & concessions: Rates and Charges Hardship Policy; pensioner concessions applyThe council has an adopted hardship policy with an application form on its website, budgets $15,910 in pensioner concessions against ordinary rates and $16,297 against services and water in 2026/2027, and offers Centrepay deductions for eligible pensioners.
Special rate variation (SRV): None referred to in the 2026/2027 Revenue PolicyThe council adopted the ordinary IPART peg; no special variation is described in its published revenue policy.
What else is on the notice: Water access and usage, sewerage, urban drainage and domestic waste are separate annual charges2026/2027 examples: domestic waste $347.00 per 240L bin, village tip maintenance $113.00, urban drainage $211.50, sewerage access (single) $937.15, filtered water access (20mm) $255.15.
Correction on the 2026/2027 notice: The 'For the Period' field printed the wrong date rangeThe council advised in July 2026 that notices incorrectly showed 01/07/2026 to 30/09/2026 instead of 01/07/2026 to 30/06/2027. It states the amounts levied and the validity of the notices are unaffected and no action is required from ratepayers.

The rate peg limits the council's total rates income, not each household's bill. How your individual rates change depends mostly on how your land value moved relative to other properties at the latest revaluation — the Valuer General completed a general valuation during 2025/2026 with a base date of 1 July 2026, applied for rating from 1 July 2026.

Sources — check it yourself

Figures are current as at the dates shown and may change — always confirm with the linked source. See the notice at the bottom of the page for full details and how to report a correction.