Proposed Special Rate Variation (SRV)

Ballina Shire Council's rate revenue is at least 11% below the average of comparable councils. 

You can use the Office of Local Government's Your Council comparison tool to compare Ballina’s rates and charges with other councils in NSW, including those outside the Northern Rivers region. Find out more at yourcouncil.nsw.gov.au(External link).

The proposed Special Rate Variation (SRV) is not linked to a list of specific projects, however provides additional ongoing funding to help maintain and renew, more promptly, Council’s existing infrastructure, such as local roads, footpaths, stormwater, parks and community facilities, at sustainable levels.

If approved, the additional income would provide:

• Increased investment in renewing infrastructure such as roads, footpaths, stormwater systems, open spaces, sporting fields, playgrounds and community facilities. What this means is that existing assets can be renewed, as needed, helping to reduce the likelihood of increased maintenance costs and lower levels of service, due to the existing infrastructure deteriorating beyond its useful life.
• Improved operational funding to maintain public spaces, roads and community facilities, as well as support initiatives in community safety, biodiversity and waterway health.

If you review the four year program of capital works in the Delivery Program you can see the renewal works, for items such as roads, stormwater, footpaths and playgrounds, being brought forward through the SRV, whereas without the SRV, less renewal works are completed each year.

Yes. The $1,319 figure refers only to general rates. It does not apply to your water, wastewater, stormwater, and waste collection charges.

Yes. The figure of $1,319 represents the average annual general rate for residential properties in Ballina Shire for the 2025/26 financial year, based on average land values.

This average is calculated across all residential rateable properties in the shire. Individual rates will vary depending on the land value of each property and the rating category it falls under, but the average provides a useful benchmark for comparing Ballina Shire with other councils or understanding the general impact of rate changes over time.

We understand that rising living costs are putting pressure on households, and it’s a good question to ask how rates are determined.

The total income that Council receives from rates is not directly linked to land value increases or CPI. Each year, the NSW Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) sets a rate peg. This peg limits how much councils can increase total rates income, regardless of how much land values rise. 

When property values change, Council must redistribute the total income it’s allowed to collect across all ratepayers, which can make some people’s rates go up and others’ go down, but it doesn’t mean Council is earning more overall. As land values increase, we also have to lower the formula we apply to calculate your rates, to ensure our total rate income does not increase by more than the IPART approved rate peg.

Over the past five years, the rate peg has been much lower than inflation and the actual cost of maintaining local infrastructure and services. This means our costs for things like roads, waste, parks and community facilities have grown faster than the income we receive to maintain them.

The proposed Special Rate Variation is about closing that gap, not to “tax” residents more, but to ensure Council can continue to deliver the essential services and renew ageing infrastructure the community relies on.

Even with this increase our level of rate income per property will be, on average, less than nearly all the other councils in this region.

As we said above, we know this is a difficult time for many, which is why we’re consulting widely and want to hear from the community before any decision is made. If you would like to speak with us further about this, give us a call on 1300 864 444 or come along to our Drop in info session next week on Tuesday 4 November, between 12pm - 1.30pm. 

Thank you for your question, we are happy to clarify. 

Over time, local governments across Australia, including Ballina Shire Council, have been required to step in and manage responsibilities that were once funded or delivered by state and federal governments.

These responsibilities are essential to community wellbeing but are often passed to councils without adequate or ongoing funding, placing increasing pressure on rates revenue and local resources.

 Examples include:

• Disaster recovery and resilience planning, including coordination of flood recovery works.
• Environmental protection and biodiversity management, such as native vegetation protection and coastal management.
• Social infrastructure and community support, including advocacy and programs for housing affordability, youth services, ageing populations and community safety.
• Public health and compliance, such as implementing public health orders, managing companion animal regulations, and enforcing environmental protection requirements.

Ballina Shire Council continues to advocate for fairer funding arrangements to ensure these vital services can be delivered sustainably for our community.

If you would like to know more, we suggest reading the latest cost shifting report conducted by LGNSW available online, you can also read their media release LGNSW's here.