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Rates & fees

Rates & fees

Rates pay for most council services. In Victoria, the state sets a yearly cap on how much a council can raise its average rates and municipal charge. For 2026–27 the cap is 2.75%, and Surf Coast's budget raises average rates by exactly that much. The cap applies to the average across all properties. Every property is revalued each year, so your own bill can rise or fall by more. The waste service charge isn't capped.

New to these terms? Read them in plain English
Pensioner rebate
A discount on rates for eligible pensioners.
See the full explainer, with formulas →

Rates at a glance

2026–27 rate rise
Average rates and municipal charge +2.75%The capped average rate per assessment is $2,434.50, up from a base of $2,369.35 (budget table 4.1.1(l)). The rate in the dollar rose 7.26%, more than the cap, because the total value of general (residential) land fell 4.25% on revaluation. The cap limits the total raised, not the rate in the dollar.
How your rates are calculated
Capital Improved Value × rate in the dollar, plus the municipal charge2026–27 rates per dollar of CIV: general (residential) 0.0015948, farm 0.0010207 (64% of the general rate) and commercial/industrial 0.0026314 (165%). The municipal charge is $245 per property. The council's example: a home valued at $900,000 pays $1,435.32 in general rates, plus the $245 municipal charge and the $533 urban garbage charge, for a total of $2,213.32.Rates calculations →
Waste service charge (2026–27)
Urban $533 (+3.5%); rural, optional, $519 (+6.1%)Urban charge applies to all residential properties and commercial tenements; rural properties pay only if they opt in to the kerbside service. The budget says the increases reflect rising disposal and recycling costs, including the Victorian Government's waste levy, and the cost of closing and rehabilitating the Anglesea landfill. Waste charges aren't covered by the rate cap.
When it's due
4 instalments: 30 Sep 2026, 30 Nov 2026, 28 Feb 2027, 31 May 2027Rates notices usually go out in July. You can also pay by monthly direct debit, processed on the last day of each month from September to May.Ways to pay →
Interest on overdue rates
Penalty interest rate — currently 10% a year (Penalty Interest Rates Act 1983); check your noticeThe council's rates pages we checked don't state the rate. It says no interest is added while you keep to an agreed payment plan or extension.
Pensioner rebate
Up to $259.50 on your rates (as stated on the council's page)For holders of a Pensioner Concession Card or eligible DVA Gold Card who live permanently in the property; not Health Care Card holders. Apply at any time during the financial year. The council's page also mentions a $50 concession on the Fire Services Property Levy, which the ESVF replaced in 2025; check your notice.Help with payment →
Financial hardship
Payment plans, extensions and deferralsOne-off payment extensions, tailored payment plans and, for low-income ratepayers and several concession cardholders, deferral of rates under the council's Hardship Policy. Contact the Revenue team on 03 5261 0600.Rates assistance →
Also on your notice: ESVF
Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund — a state levyThe council collects it for the Victorian Government. It replaced the Fire Services Property Levy in 2025. It isn't council revenue and isn't covered by the rate cap.About the ESVF →

The figures above come from the adopted 2026–27 budget (section 4.1.1) and the council's rates pages. From 1 July 2026 the budget also adds a Trust for Nature rebate of $20 a hectare, up to $500 a property, for land under a Trust for Nature conservation covenant. Check your own notice or the council's rates pages for your figures.

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.