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. For 2026–27 the cap is 2.75%, and Swan Hill's adopted budget raises average general rates by that much. The cap applies to the average across all properties, so your own bill can rise or fall by more, depending on how your property's value moved compared with others and which rating category it is in. Swan Hill has no municipal charge. Bin service charges aren't capped.
New to these terms? Read them in plain English
- Pensioner rebate
- A discount on rates for eligible pensioners.
Rates at a glance
- 2026–27 rate rise
- Average general rates +2.75% (the state cap)The budget sets the average rate at $2,457.15, up from $2,391.39, across 12,460 rateable properties, and says the council chose not to apply for a higher cap. It expects $36.1 million from all rates and charges.Council Plan and Budget →
- How your rates are calculated
- Capital Improved Value × rate in the dollar2026–27 rates in the dollar: residential and recreational 0.00400146; residential vacant land in Swan Hill and Robinvale 0.01280469; commercial in Swan Hill and Robinvale 0.00520190; industrial, and commercial outside the two towns, 0.00480176; irrigation-district farms 0.00400146; dryland farms 0.00320117. The industrial and other-commercial rate rose from 110% to 120% of the residential rate; the other rates fell 4.5% as property values rose.Understanding your rates →
- Special rate (some businesses)
- Tourism, commercial and industrial properties in the declared Swan Hill and Lake Boga areaThe special rate funds Swan Hill Incorporated, which promotes the region. The budget expects it to raise $408,000 in 2026–27.Special rate charge →
- Bin service charge (2026–27)
- $618 a year (240 L landfill + recycling) or $408 (120 L landfill + recycling)Required for properties with a home in the waste collection area. The optional garden waste bin (Swan Hill township) is $106 a year. Changing from a 240 L to a 120 L landfill bin is free; upsizing costs $60.50, and so does cancelling the garden bin. Up from $599, $396 and $103 in 2025–26 (budget section 4.1.1(i)).Bin charges →
- When it's due
- 4 instalments: 30 Sep 2026, 30 Nov 2026, 28 Feb 2027, 31 May 2027You can prepay all four by 30 September, or pay weekly, fortnightly or monthly as long as each instalment is paid in full by its due date. Pay online (Visa or Mastercard), by BPAY, at Australia Post, by phone (13 18 16), in person, by mail, by direct debit or by Centrepay.Pay your rates →
- Interest on overdue rates
- Penalty interest rate — currently 10% a year (Penalty Interest Rates Act 1983); check your noticeThe council's page says penalty interest may be charged on late or unpaid rates under section 172 of the Local Government Act 1989, and that its debt collection agency may be engaged to recover unpaid amounts.
- Pensioner concession
- Pensioner Concession Card or DVA Gold Card holdersThe council links to the Victorian Government's municipal rates concession; apply as its page describes.Municipal rates concession →
- Payment plans and hardship
- Payment plans, or special considerationSpecial consideration can include an interest-free period or a partial or full deferral, decided case by case. Call 03 5036 2333 or email rates@swanhill.vic.gov.au.Apply for special consideration →
- 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. It isn't council revenue and isn't covered by the rate cap. Pensioner and DVA Gold Card holders get a $50 concession on their home.About the ESVF (SRO) →
The figures above come from the adopted 2026/27 budget (section 4.1.1), the council's 2026/27 rates brochure and its rates pages. The council says it has formally adopted the budget. Check your own notice for your figures.
Sources — check it yourself
- Swan Hill Rural City Council — Budget 2026/27, section 4.1.1 Rates and charges (PDF) · 2026–27
- Swan Hill Rural City Council — Council Plan and Budget (adoption) · Sep 2026
- Swan Hill Rural City Council — Rates brochure 2026/27 (PDF) · 2026–27
- Swan Hill Rural City Council — Understanding your rates · Sep 2026
- Swan Hill Rural City Council — Pay your rates · Sep 2026
- Essential Services Commission — Annual council rate caps (2026–27: 2.75%) · Sep 2026
- Supreme Court of Victoria — Penalty interest rates · Sep 2026
- State Revenue Office — Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund · Sep 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.