Rates & fees
Rates are the main way residents fund the council. Each year an independent regulator (IPART) sets a 'rate peg' — the maximum percentage a council can lift its total rates income without further approval. Hornsby, however, is partway through a 4-year Special Rate Variation (SRV) that IPART approved in 2023, so its actual rate rises in 2025–26 and 2026–27 are higher than the standard rate peg most other councils use. Here's what's actually happening to Hornsby's rates, how it compares, and the things that change your individual bill.
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.
- Approved Special Rate Variation (SRV), 2023/24–2026/27
- 8.5% → 7.5% → 6.5% → 5.5%, cumulative 31.05%IPART approved Hornsby's application in June 2023 to fund financial sustainability, reduce infrastructure backlogs, and fund new strategic initiatives. On average, residential rates rise about $395 (31.1%) over the 4 years.
- 2025–26 rates rise (Hornsby, under the SRV)
- 6.5%Higher than the standard IPART rate peg most councils use (Hornsby's underlying 2025–26 peg was a 3.8% core / 5.2% final rate peg — the SRV determination sets the higher, actual figure).
- 2026–27 rates rise (Hornsby, under the SRV)
- 5.5%Hornsby's underlying 2026–27 IPART rate peg (for reference) was a 3.3% core / 3.6% final rate peg.
- What the SRV/peg caps
- Total rates income — not your individual billIt doesn't cap the separate domestic waste charge.
- 2026/27 domestic waste charge
- Up 10%Funds the new food organics collection service (from 1 Jul 2027), rising waste contract costs, and historic landfill remediation at Foxglove Oval. This is separate from, and not capped by, the rates peg/SRV.
- Why your bill can still change more (or less)
- Land revaluations shift bills between propertiesYour share moves with your land value relative to other properties (NSW Valuer General).
- Concessions
- Eligible pensioners can receive a rebateAs part of the SRV, Council committed to increase its hardship rebate for pensioners by $50 to $300/year from 2023/24. Check current eligibility with the council.
The rate peg / SRV limits the council's total rates income, not each household's bill. Hornsby is one of a number of NSW councils that has an IPART-approved Special Rate Variation running above the standard annual rate peg — this is a formal, publicly reviewed process (not a unilateral council decision), and IPART's determination and the council's own SRV materials (linked below) explain the reasons given.
Sources — check it yourself
- Hornsby Shire Council — Rates · 2025–26
- Yoursay Hornsby — Special Rate Variation
- IPART — Hornsby Shire Council Special Variation Application 2023–24: Final Report (determination) · Jun 2023
- IPART — Rate pegs for NSW councils 2025–26 (Hornsby's underlying core/final peg) · Oct 2024
- IPART — Rate pegs for NSW councils 2026–27 (Hornsby's underlying core/final peg) · Sep 2025
- Yoursay Hornsby — Draft 2026–2030 Delivery Program and 2026/27 Operational Plan (waste charge, food organics) · Jun 2026
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.