Understand your rates and what they pay for

Property rates help keep local infrastructure and services running. They are the contribution each ratepayer makes towards the cost of maintaining over $4.34 billion of local assets and infrastructure and delivering high-quality community services in Boroondara.

You’ll receive your rates notice between late July and early August each year. If you need a new or previous rates notice, email us at [email protected] or call (03) 9278 4444.

Rate capping

The State Government sets a rate cap that limits the average increase in general rates each year. For 2024-25, the cap is 2.75%. While the cap applies to overall rate revenue, individual rates notices may vary due to property valuations. Charges like the Waste Environment Levy are not subject to the rate cap.

How your rates are calculated

Rates are based on the Capital Improved Value (CIV), which includes the value of land, buildings, and improvements. 

The Valuer-General Victoria assesses property values annually.

Step-by-step calculation

1. Required rate revenue: We calculate how much revenue is needed for Council services. For 2024-25, this is $183,269,653.
2. Rate in the dollar: This is the required revenue divided by the total rateable property values, which for 2024-25 is $142,886,395,000.
3. General rates: Your CIV multiplied by the rate in the dollar gives your property’s general rates charge.
4. Total bill: We add the Waste Environment Levy, Emergency Services and Volunteer Fund Levy and any applicable concessions (like the pensioner discount).

Example calculation

For a property with a CIV of $1,600,000, the general rate would be $2,052.20. We calculate this by multiplying the CIV by the rate in the dollar (0.0012826249).

Waste Environment Levy

This covers the cost of bin collections, street cleaning and public waste services. It also includes the State Government’s landfill levy. The charge depends on the number and type of bins on your property.

State Government Levy: Emergency Services and Volunteer Fund

A new State Government levy called the Emergency Services and Volunteer Fund (ESVF) is being collected by Council in your rates notice for the Victorian Government. The levy will be added to 2025–26 rates notices and will replace the Fire Services Property Levy (FSPL). The tax will be used to support organisations like the Victoria State Emergency Services (SES) and Country Fire Authority (CFA).

The new ESVF tax is significantly more than the previous FSPL. It increases the variable charge from 8.7 cents to 17.3 cents per $1,000 of capital improved value (CIV) of the property, in addition to a fixed charge of $136.

To find out more about this tax, visit Emergency Service Volunteer Fund.

Objecting to a valuation

If you disagree with your property’s valuation, you can object within 2 months of receiving your rates notice. Submit objections through the Victorian Government’s Rating valuation objections.

What your rates cover

Your rates fund the following services for every $100 of Council spending:

* Doesn't include operating costs for 5 externally-managed recreation centres.

The figures in the table also account for an allocation of corporate services, governance, risk management, building maintenance and public lighting across these service areas.

Where your rates go

Your rates help to pay for these services and assets in the City of Boroondara.

More information

To find out more about how your rates are spent, see our Council Budget 2024-25 page.