If you choose to pay your rates in one lump sum, payment will be due on Wednesday 15 February 2023. If you are paying by quarterly instalments, the first instalment payment will be due on Friday 30 September 2022.
This video explains how your share of the rates is calculated.
Your annual rate notice will be different from August 2023
From the 2023-24 financial year, there will be a change to the annual rate notice. The rate notice will be itemised to include a Kerbside Waste Service Charge, Public Waste Service Charge and Supplementary Bin Charge.
Visit the Waste Service Charge page to learn more.
Email rate notices
Whitehorse City Council encourages ecologically friendly delivery of your rates notice via electronic methods. See section below on How To Receive Your Rates Electronically. Sign up today and do your bit to save the planet.
Please note that payments made by credit cards will incur a surcharge of 0.6%. This fee helps Council to recover the cost of merchant fees charged by financial institutions.
Credit card surcharge fees do not apply for payments made by BPAY, payments by debit cards, cheque, cash or money order or payments in person at Australia Post.
Your rates provide around 58 per cent of Council’s total annual income, which helps to deliver more than 100 services to residents.
This income funds various Council services, including:
- home and community care for elderly and disabled residents
- maternal and child health
- maintaining roads, footpaths, parks and gardens
- maintaining sports grounds and leisure centres
This year the Victorian State Government has set the rate cap at 1.75 percent for all councils in Victoria. Council’s total income collected from rates increases by 1.75 per cent and will raise total rate revenue to $129.20 million.
Council’s rating year starts on 1 July and ends on 30 June.
Council rates notices are sent out each year in mid to late August.
Find out more about how rates are calculated and how councils work.
When Are My Rates Due?
You can choose to pay your rates in a lump sum (the total amount in one payment), or in four instalments.
If you choose to pay a lump sum, your rates are due on Wednesday 15 February 2023.
If you choose to pay your rates in instalments (smaller amounts spread over a period of time), the due dates for each amount are:
- Friday 30 September 2022
- Wednesday 30 November 2022
- Tuesday 28 February 2023
- Wednesday 31 May 2023
If you are unable to pay your rates in full or by instalments by the due date, you may enter into a payment plan.
Our online Rates Payment Plan Estimator can help you work out the minimum payments required.
If you are experiencing hardship please contact our rates department at customer.service@whitehorse.vic.gov.au or call us on 9262 6292.
You can also view our Hardship Policy ( PDF 603.2KB).
Council has two ways you can register to receive your rate notice electronically.
- Email Delivery: Sign up online to receive your rate notice by email.
- You will need to reference your rate notice
- Enter your assessment number and name exactly as it appears on your rate notice
- BPAY View: Register through your online banking. BPAY View sends your bills straight to your bank online, making receiving, storing and paying is even simpler. Find out more at BPAY View.
Your Rates
How Are My Rates Calculated?
The rate increase for 2022/23 was capped by The Victorian State Government at 1.75 per cent for all councils in Victoria.
This cap is applied to the 2021-2022 rate income to determine Council’s rate income increase for 2022-2023.
By dividing the total rate income for the year by the total Capital Improved Value (CIV) of all properties within the municipality, a 'rate in the dollar' is calculated.
The 'rate in the dollar' for the 2022/23 rating year is 0.153777 cents.
By multiplying each property's CIV by the rate in the dollar, the individual rate amounts are calculated
Find out more about property valuations.
The amount of rates collected by Council are distributed across all propeties in the municipality and new valuations do not cause a change in the overall rate income to the municipality.
Overall, Whitehorse property values have increased by an average of 13.8 per cent, with:
- average residential increasing by 14.5 per cent
- commercial increasing by 5.6 per cent
- industrial increasing by 16.6 per cent
A property with an average valuation increase of 13.8 per cent will have the average rate increase of 1.75 per cent.
A property whose value decreased or increased by less than the average will experience a rate increase less than 1.75 per cent.
A property whose value increased more than the average will experience a rate increase greater than 1.75 per cent.
Changing Your Details
We need to make sure our property records are correct and up-to-date.
This means you must let us know in writing as soon as possible if there is a change to:
- any name, company, trust, power of attorney, body corporate or agent
- address
- email address
- mobile telephone number
- occupancy
To change your details, email customer.service@whitehorse.vic.gov.au or send us this form with your new details ( PDF 268.27KB).
Change of Ownership
The Local Government Act 1989 (Section 231) provides that when ownership of a property changes, a prescribed form must be lodged by a prescribed person within one month of settlement.
Please contact your conveyancer or solicitor if Council has not received the prescribed form within one month of settlement.
Appealing Against Rates and Charges
The Local Government Act 1989 (section 184 [1] and [1B]) provides that if you are aggrieved by a rate or charge levied by Council (other than an appeal or objection against the valuation or against differential rating or against special rates and charges or special rates under section 221), you may, within 60 days after receipt of your Valuation and Rate Notice, lodge an appeal with the County Court and give to the Council notice that you intend to lodge such an appeal.
The grounds of appeal are set out in section 184 [2]. If for the first time your rate notice levies a special rate or charge, the Local Government Act 1989 (section 185) further provides that a person may apply to the Victorian Civil Administration Tribunal (VCAT) for a review of a decision of Council to impose a special rate or charge on that person.
The application must be made within 30 days after the date of issue of your rate notice.
The grounds of appeal are set out in section 185 [2] [b]. A person may also apply to VCAT under section 185AA for a declaration concerning the validity of a decision of Council to impose a special rate or charge.
Payment Options
- Direct Debit: Download the application form ( PDF 352.93KB) For further information please contact Council on 9262 6333. Credit card accounts not accepted.
- BPAY: The BPAY biller code is 18325. Contact your financial institution and quote your ten digit Customer Reference Number shown on your rate notice. There is no credit card processing fee for payments by BPAY.
- Internet: Pay by card online (MasterCard or Visa). A credit card processing fee of 0.6% will be added to the total amount payable for payments made by credit card (no fee for debit cards).
- Telephone: Payment by card (MasterCard or Visa) can be made by calling 1300 120 147 and quoting your assessment number as listed on the front of your rate notice. A credit card processing fee of 0.6% will be added to the total amount payable for payments made by credit card (no fee for debit cards).
- Mail: Make the cheque payable to Whitehorse City Council. Mail the bottom portion of rate notice and payment to:
Whitehorse City Council, PO Box 14818, Melbourne VIC 8001.
Receipts will not be issued for payments by mail.
- In person: Present your rate notice with your payment to any of Council’s Services Centres (Whitehorse Civic Centre in Nunawading, Forest Hill Chase Shopping Centre or Box Hill Town Hall). EFTPOS, credit card, cheque, cash or money order are accepted. A credit card processing fee of 0.6% will be added to the total amount payable for payments made by credit card (no fee for debit cards). Payment can also be made at any Australia Post outlet without a credit card processing fee.
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