Information relating to residential and non-residential rates (Our ref. 893).
We have decided to release the information you have requested; - please see our answers below, in blue.
Request:
The Taxpayers’ Union is in the process of preparing the 2026 Ratepayers’ Report for the 2024/25 financial year. This is request number 1 of 3.
This is a request for information under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987. Please use GST inclusive figures where applicable.
I request the following information for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 Financial Year:
1. Average residential rates
The average (mean) residential costs of rates and other Council charges, where average residential costs = (A + B) / C. Please ensure that the figures used (A, B, and C) are disclosed in the response, where:
- A is the total of all rates (general and targeted) charged by the Council to residential rating units (inclusive GST);
- B is the total amount of user charges or levies applicable to residential rating units (for example charges relating to metered water, infrastructure contributions, refuse collection, fire protection etc.); and
- C is the number of residential rating units (however defined by the Council) within the Council’s district or city. If the Council does not have a classification for residential, please use the closest definition (such as urban).
Please do not include Council charges that are not part of the rates demand (for example retail sales of Council rubbish bags).
If possible, the median residential rates payment (inclusive GST) by residential units.
- 2024/25 $3,311.32
- 2025/26 $3,681.25
Please include all residential rates in this calculation, regardless of location, as we are aiming to compare residential rating units (i.e. non-income producing) to non-residential (commercial/rural, income-producing).
2. Average non-residential rates
The average non-residential costs of rates and other Council charges, where average non-residential costs = (X + Y) / Z. Please ensure that the figures used (X, Y, and Z) are disclosed in the response, where:
- X is the total of all rates (general and targeted) (inclusive GST) charged by the Council to rating units except those defined as residential*;
- Y is the total amount of user charges or levies applicable to rating units except those defined as residential* (for example, charges related to metered water, infrastructure contributions, refuse collection, fire protection etc); and
- Z is the number of rating units except those defined as residential* (however defined by the Council) within the Council’s district or city. If the Council does not have a classification for non-residential, please use the closest definition (such as commercial).
Please do not include Council charges that are not part of the rates demand (for example, retail sales of Council rubbish bags).
If possible, the median (inclusive GST) non-residential rates payment for the council.
- 2024/25 $5,509.29
- 2025/26 $5,488.07
Please ensure that this definition matches that used to calculate average residential rates so that the respective X values of both requests add up to total rates income for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 Financial Year.