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Rates & fees

Rates & fees

Rates are one of the ways residents fund the council. Each year an independent regulator (IPART) sets a 'rate peg' — the maximum percentage the council can lift its total rates income. Lockhart's adopted 2026–27 Operational Plan applies the full peg. Separately, the council has begun a community conversation about applying to IPART for a special rate variation from 2027–28. Here are the current figures, how they compare across NSW, and the things that actually change your 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.
See the full explainer, with formulas →

Rates at a glance

5.7%Set by IPART — a core peg of 3.5% plus a population factor of 2.2%. The council's adopted Operational Plan 2026–27 states it has been prepared on the basis of applying the full 5.7%. The peg caps the council's total general rates income, not your individual bill.
4.9%IPART's peg for the previous year: a core peg of 4.2% plus a population factor of 0.7%.
~$394 / year (2024–25)About 67% below the NSW average of ~$1,203 (OLG time-series data); 2023–24 was $404 against an NSW average of ~$1,140. Rate levels follow land values and each council's rating structure — in Lockhart farmland holds 94.3% of the shire's rateable land value — and are not a measure of service quality.
Proposed special rate variation (SRV)
Under community consultation — 44% cumulative over two years from 1 July 2027At its ordinary meeting on 18 May 2026 the council endorsed starting a community conversation about a possible permanent SRV of 20% of total rates income in 2027–28 and a further 20% in 2028–29 (44% cumulative), to address what the council describes as an operating deficit and an asset renewal gap. No application had been made to or determined by IPART at the time of writing — the council's published process is consult, review feedback, then decide whether to apply. Lockhart was not among the councils whose special variations IPART determined on 2 June 2026.
Instalment dates (2026–27)
31 Aug 2026 · 30 Nov 2026 · 28 Feb 2027 · 31 May 2027Paying in full means paying by the first instalment date. Daily interest accrues on an instalment from the day after it falls due.
Overdue interest (2026–27)
9.5% per annumA NSW-wide maximum set annually by the Minister under the Local Government Act (cash rate plus 6%, rounded to the nearest half per cent) — Office of Local Government Circular 26-06, 15 May 2026. The council's adopted Operational Plan 2026–27 still records this figure as 'TBC'.
Pensioner concession
Up to 50% of ordinary rates and the domestic waste charge, capped at $250 a year (plus up to $87.50 on sewer)For holders of a Centrelink pensioner concession card or DVA card who own and occupy the property. About 247 Lockhart properties receive it; the NSW Government reimburses the council 55% of the cost. Owners who become eligible during the year can get a pro-rata rebate.
Land valuations
New Valuer General values apply from 1 July 2026The council's 2026–27 rates are calculated on land values with a base date of 1 July 2025, issued to residents from January 2026. A higher land value does not by itself give the council more income — the peg still caps total income; it changes how the total is shared between properties.

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 — and, in Lockhart, on which rating category and sub-category your property falls into: the council rates Farmland, Residential (with separate Lockhart, The Rock, Yerong Creek and Rural sub-categories), Business (also split by town) and Mining, each with its own base amount and ad valorem rate.

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.