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Rates

Your rates fund essential services

Wattle Range Council delivers services and facilities that help build strong and vibrant communities, and your rates likely pay for a wide range of services and activities.

Your council rates help provide the services and facilities that keep our community running and make Wattle Range a great place to live. From maintaining roads and parks to collecting rubbish and supporting community facilities, rates fund many of the essential services people rely on every day.

The amount you pay is partly based on the value of your property, helping Council deliver services and infrastructure across the district for the benefit of the whole community.

See the LGA Website Council rates explained: Where your money goes and why it matters | Local Councils

Each year, we release our Annual Business Plan and Budget for public consultation and invite the community to help shape the budget for the coming financial year including expected rating changes.

See the 2026-27 Wattle Range Council Annual Business Plan and Budget (PDF 5.6 MB)

Once the Plan is adopted and rates are set, a Summary of the Annual Business Plan is distributed to ratepayers along with the first quarter rates notice. The Summary Annual Business Plan outlines how your rate funds will be spent and highlights the services and projects planned for the year ahead.

How Council calculate its rates

Wattle Range Council rates are set annually for each financial year. To calculate your rates, we use a property’s Capital Value as the basis. See ‘How is my Property Valued?’ Below

To calculate your rates:

  • Find the capital value of your property (on your rates notice)
  • Multiply it by the relevant rate in the dollar

The Rate in the Dollar is determined by the land use category of the property and for 2026/27, the rate in the dollar for each category have been set as:

  • Residential - 0.3017 cents in the dollar
  • Commercial - 0.3017 cents in the dollar
  • Industrial - 0.3017 cents in the dollar
  • Primary Production - 0.2463 cents in the dollar
  • Vacant Land - 0.4535 cents in the dollar
  • Other - 0.4535 cents in the dollar

Example – Sam owns a residential property in Penola. The Capital Value of his home is $490,000. His calculation would be $490,000 x 0.003017 = $1,025.78, making his annual rates $1,025.78 plus any additional charges applicable such as the Waste Collection Service, Community Wastewater Management System (CWMS) fees and Landscape Levy are all added to the above amount. See What are the additional charges on my rates notices?

A minimum rate of $783.00 applies for the 2026/27 financial year. This means every ratepayer will pay at least $783.00 in Council rates, even if their property's calculated rate is lower.

The annual rates are payable in full or in four equal instalments. 
See What are the due dates for payment?

Council has not applied a rate cap for 2026/27. This means there is no limit on the maximum rate increase, and rates have been set in accordance with Council's adopted budget and rating policy.

Additional charges on rates notices

Waste Collection Service Charge 2026/27

  • 3 Bin Waste collection and recycling service - $425.00
  • 2 Bin Waste collection and recycling service - $350.00

See kerbside collection services in Wattle Range

Council offers a discretionary pensioner concession rebate on the waste collection charge to eligible ratepayers. 
See Pensioner concessions on rates?

Community Wastewater Management Scheme (CWMS) Service Charge

  • CWMS Occupied (Southend, Penola, Kalangadoo) - $806.00
  • CWMS Occupied (Beachport) - $914.00
  • CWMS Vacant (Southend, Penola, Kalangadoo) - $601.00
  • CWMS Vacant (Beachport) - $685.00

See the Community Wastewater Management Scheme

Limestone Coast Landscape Board Levy - (State Government Tax - No additional rebates apply).

  • Residential, Vacant & Other - $100.60
  • Commercial - $149.80
  • Industrial - $226.70
  • Primary Production - $430.70

See What is the landscape levy?

Property valuations

The capital value used by Council for your property is provided by the Office of the Valuer-General. Any enquiries regarding this value should be directed to the Office of the Valuer-General on 1300 653 345.

Visit the Local Councils website for more information on rate setting and valuations in South Australia Find out more about Council rates in SA

If you wish to object to your valuation, you can make an application to the Office of the Valuer General within 60 days of receipt of your first quarter rates notice. Remember, Rates are still due and payable by the due date even if an objection to valuation has been lodged. Council can still pursue you for overdue rates during this period.

You can use these methods to object to your valuation:

  • Submit your detailed objections in writing to the Office of the Valuer-General at GPO Box 1354, Adelaide, SA 5001
  • Visit 101 Grenfell Street, Adelaide, SA 5000

Send an email to OVGObjections@sa.gov.au or use the online form available from www.sa.gov.au/landservices on the 'Objecting to a property valuation' page.

Paying your rates

What are the due dates for payment?

Rates may be paid in full or in quarterly instalments. The due dates for rate payments for the current financial year are:

1st Instalment                         09 September 2026

2nd Instalment                        02 December 2026

3rd Instalment                         03 March 2027

4th Instalment                         02 June 2027

Rate notices are sent usually 30 days but not more than 60 days before the due date.

How do I pay my rates?

What do I do if I cannot pay my rates on time?

Any ratepayer who may, or is likely to, experience difficulty with meeting the required payments are invited to contact the Rates Department on (08) 8733 0900 to discuss payment options. All enquiries are treated confidentially by the Council.

If you don’t pay your rates on or before the quarterly due date, a 2% fine of the amount of the instalment is payable in accordance with the Local Government Act 1999.

If your rates remain unpaid, interest will be added on approximately the 14th of each month. This interest is charged on the outstanding balance, including any unpaid fines and interest already applied. The interest rate applicable for 2026/27 is 0.73%

Property owners who hold a State Seniors Card may elect to postpone their rates subject to the applicable eligibility criteria and subsequent approval by Council. The interest rate applicable for any postponement for 2026/27 is 0.57% monthly. Contact Council for more information.

Council will forward an Overdue Rates Letter to any ratepayer who has any amount in arrears after an instalment falls due

If we don't hear from you and your rates stay unpaid, we'll need to take steps to recover the debt under the guidelines of the Local Government Act 1999 and Council’s debt recovery procedure.

It's important to reach out to us as soon as you know that you can't pay on time, so we can find a solution. If things progress and we need to engage a collection agent, you’ll be responsible for paying legal fees and additional costs.

Council is legally permitted to sell land if the rate amount has been in arrears for three years or more, under Section 184 of the Local Government Act 1999.

Concessions on rates

Pension concessions or “Cost of Living Concessions” is administered by the South Australian Government and is available to low-income earners and eligible pensioners.
See Cost of Living Concessions on the SA Governments website 

Council also offers a discretionary Pensioner Concession rebate to eligible pensioner ratepayers to offset part of the cost of Waste Collection Service Charges:

  • $120 rebate on the 3 Bin Waste collection and recycling service
  • $90 rebate on the 2 Bin Waste collection and recycling service

This rebate is considered through the Council budget process each financial year. The Pensioner Concession rebate applies to your principal place of residence only.

To apply for a pensioner concession, complete an application form and present your eligible concession card to your nearest Council Office. Copies of the application form can be obtained through contacting Council or visiting one of Council’s offices.

The completed form should be forwarded to rates@wattlerange.sa.gov.au or delivered to Council before 30 September each year.

For more information on eligibility, see Council’s Rating Policy (PDF 264.7 KB)

Change of address or electronic delivery

Changing your address

If you need to change your mailing address for your rates notice, you can

Alternatively, contact us on (08) 8733 0900 for any other general rates queries.

Receive your rates notice online (emailed bills)

Your Council rates notice can be delivered online to any device.  Register your details at wattlerange.eNotices.com.au and your future rates notices will be delivered to your nominated email address. Once registered, you can also log in any time to securely view your current and previous notices online.

Can I apply to be treated as a single farming enterprise?

All rural ratepayers who own and operate two or more rateable assessment portions as one entity can apply to Council to be treated as a Single Farm Enterprise.

Download the Single Farm Enterprise Application Form (PDF 150.5 KB)

Objecting to my land use category

If you wish to have your land use code reviewed, an application can be made to Council who will forward your objection for formal consideration by the Office of the Valuer-General.

Download the Objection to Land Use Category Form (PDF 252.2 KB)

Landscape levy

The landscape levy is critical to the work of the Limestone Coast Landscape Board and to the sustainable management of the Limestone Coast.

See lc.landscape.sa.gov.au for more information.

Read the Landscape SA Summary
Read the Landscape SA Policy Overview