Bega Valley Shire Council

Customer Service Enquiries

(02) 6499 2222

www.begavalley.nsw.gov.au

About Us

Bega Valley Shire Council is a Local Government Organisation on the far south coast of NSW. We service 6280 km2 with a community of about 33,000 people.

General Information

BVSC Facebook Comments Guidelines
Our Facebook page is a place for constructive discussion about local issues. Positive and negative comments form the basis of gauging public sentiment in regards to Council performance and services. But like all online and offline public forums, there is a level of moderation needed to ensure fairness to other users and those who are featured on our page.
There will be occasions when we need to remove comments and block users as a result of leaving inappropriate responses to posts and comments. Please read the following guidelines so we can all engage in fair, open and vibrant conversation.
1. Please be polite. Personal attacks and words that defame or degrade any person, group or organisation will not be tolerated. The use of coarse language is not welcome.
2. Please stay on topic. Random comments that do not relate to individual posts are a distraction and discourage others from engaging in relevant conversation.Comments that purposely attempt to derail a comments thread will be deleted.
3. Please do not repeat comments in multiple threads. This will be seen as an attempt to derail the conversation and treated as spam.
4. Links made for commercial purposes and personal gain will be treated as spam and removed.
5. Comments that question these guidelines or moderation of our page will be removed. We will send you a private message via Facebook asking you to contact us directly if you have any questions about moderation.
6. Trolling and using a fake online identity to praise, defend or create the illusion of support for one's self, allies or company (sock puppetry) are not acceptable. People found to be doing either will be blocked from commenting on your page.
7. The administrators of this page reserve the right to remove any material if the above guidelines are not met.
8. Please also bear in mind Facebook’s own Community Standards policy.
9. Council will manage its Facebook page, including responding to comments and the removal of unsuitable material, during normal business operating hours only.
And finally, don’t worry. Providing you are entering into any discussion in the spirit of being fair and polite to all people involved, you will remain a welcome member of our growing online community.

What We Do

FAQs

What do I get for my rates?

Infrastructure and Property Services, Recreation Facilities, Health Services, Environmental Services, Community Services, Building Services, Planning and Development Approval, Facilities.

What are the rates Categories?

Categorisation of all rateable land in the Council area has been undertaken in accordance with the requirements of chapter 15 of the Local Government Act 1993. There are 4 categories of an ordinary rate and 4 categories of rateable land. Council has used the following four categories for the general rate and for rateable land: • Residential • Farmland • Business • Mining

If the valuation on my property goes up, will my rates increase?

Higher valuations do not increase total council rate collection as the state government uses rate pegging which limits the rate rises. New valuations result in some ratepayers paying more while others pay less.

What can I do if I don’t agree with the category for my property?

Categories are important, because rates differ depending on the category of the land. If your land is categorised as business, you may pay a higher rate per dollar of land value than if you land is categorised as residential.

Who decides the valuation of my land?

Valuer-General - call 1800 110 038 or visit http://www.lpi.nsw.gov.au

What Land is exempt from Rates?

The Certain land is exempt from rating (referred to as Non-Rateable Land). In order to be eligible for exemption from rating (Non-Rateable Land) your parcel of land must be one of the following categories, as stipulated in the Local Government Act 1993, they include: • Churches • Minister’s residence • Schools • Public Land • Hospitals • Land owned and used by Public Charities and another land in the provision of Section 555 of the Local Government Act, 1993.

Do I get a reduction on rates when paying in full?

No – The rates that are levied are not reduced when paid in full.

When and where are the rates advertised?

Councils Delivery Plan and Operational Plan including the Revenue Policy and the Fees and Charges are usually advertised around April in the local newspapers and on Council’s website. View Council Operational Plan for full details of the Revenue Policy. These document can view on the Community Strategic Plan page.

Why do I have to pay interest on late payments?

If an instalment is not paid on or before the due date, the instalment will become overdue and is subject to interest, calculated daily. The interest rate is set by the Minister for Local Government and is currently calculated at 9%p.a. This is in accordance with Section 566 of the Local Government Act 1993.

What does ‘ad valorem’ mean?

Ad valorem is an amount paid against the dollar value of your land. Commonly this is only a fraction of a single cent for each dollar of land value.

When are my rates due?

The full amount needs to paid by August 31. Or you can pay by instalment. Instalments are paid by the following dates: • Instalment 1: August 31 • Instalment 2: November 30 • Instalment 3: February 28 • Instalment 4: May 31 Payments can be made in several ways, visit Pay my rates for more information.

Are my rates subject to Goods and Services Tax (GST)?

Ordinary rates, special rates, water charges, sewerage charges, stormwater charges and waste management charges are exempt from GST because of the determination by the Federal Treasurer.