Rates and Payments

To use BPay, contact your participating bank, credit union or building society and make your payment directly from your cheque, savings or credit account. Make sure you quote the Biller Code and Customer Reference number located on the front of the rates notice. 

You can pay your Council rates online using your visa card or Mastercard through Post Billpay.

To use Post Billpay, please present your rates notice together with your payment at any Post Office, phone 13 18 16 or go to www.postbillpay.com.au.

To make payment via mail, please make cheques payable to “Hindmarsh Shire Council” and crossed “Not Negotiable”. Please ensure that the remittance slip for your account is attached to the cheque, then mail your payment to:

Hindmarsh Shire Council
PO Box 250
Nhill Vic 3418

To arrange a Direct Debit, please use this Direct Debit Request form(PDF, 194KB) or contact one of our Customer Service Centres so that we can arrange to have one posted out to you or available for collection at your convenience. Payment arrangements can be made weekly, fortnightly, monthly or by instalment. Please ensure that you read our Direct Debit Request Service Agreement (PDF, 251KB)before completing the form.

Council provides a service through Ezybill which enables ratepayers the option to receive their Rates Notice/s sent via email instead of the post.

To register for this service, click below:

REGISTER FOR EZYBILL HERE

What to expect during registration:
You will be required to create an Ezybill account (if you don’t have one already). Once this has been created, you will receive an email asking for you to activate your account.  Follow the prompts in this email to register your property for emailed notices. At this point you will be required to enter some details which can be found on your Rates Notice. Each assessment number must be registered separately, but once it has been done the first time, you won’t be required to do it again.

If at any point you wish to cancel this service receive a paper copy of your Rates Notice/s again, please contact Council on 03 5391 4444.

Rates are a financial contribution made by each Hindmarsh property owner towards the cost of maintaining our Shire’s infrastructure such as local roads and footpaths, and providing a range of services and facilities to the community.

Most of Council’s income is generated from rates, which are set by Council as a property-based levy on the valuation of a property. Rates are calculated over the financial year from 1 July to 30 June.

What do my rates pay for?

Helpful Resources:
The Capping of Council Rates - A Complex Policy Explained by MAV(PDF, 3MB)

The State Government has introduced Rate Capping which sets out the maximum amount which councils may increase their total rate revenue in a year.

The total rate revenue is then divided by the total Capital Improved Value (CIV) of all properties in the municipality, providing a factor known as the rate in the dollar. The rate in the dollar is then used to calculate each individual property’s annual rate charge. Further information regarding our rating strategy is available in our Hindmarsh Shire Council Budget.

Your Levies Explained

General Rate
The general rate levy contributes to the cost of maintaining our Shire’s infrastructure such as local roads and footpaths, and providing a range of services and facilities to the community.

Municipal Charge
All properties attract a municipal charge which helps pay for Council's governance and administration.

Garbage Charges
Every urban property in the Shire attracts a compulsory garbage collection charge. Rural properties are charged if the property is located on the designated rural collection route and owners opt to use the service.

This charge covers the collection of garbage and recyclables from your property as well as the disposal, sorting and recycling of waste as applicable. This charge also funds the provision of waste and recycling infrastructure, including future rehabilitation of landfill sites.

Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund (replacing the Fire Services Property Levy)
In December 2024, the Victorian Government announced that the Fire Services Property Levy (FSPL) would be replaced by the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund (ESVF), effective from 1 July 2025. 

The ESVF fee is determined annually by the Victorian State Government, collected by Councils, and paid back to the State Government in full including any interest accumulated.

How is the ESVF Calculated?
Click here to find out how the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund is calculated.

For more information about the ESVF, visit https://www.dtf.vic.gov.au/emergency-services-and-volunteers-fund.

The valuation authority is responsible for determining the value of a property for council rates notices and for land tax assessment notices.  The Valuer-General is the responsible valuation authority for most properties in Victoria. 

If you disagree with the value of your property, as listed on your council rate notice or land tax assessment notice, you can lodge an objection with the relevant rating authority (either the local council or the State Revenue Office).

Objections to the valuation given on your council rates notice are to be lodged directly with your local council.

Valuation Objections

Objections to the valuation given on your land tax assessment notice are to be lodged with the State Revenue Office. More information on land tax, including how to object to the value of your property, can be found on the State Revenue Office website.

Generally the objection must be in writing and directed to the relevant rating authority within two months of being given the notice. It should state the value of your property and the grounds on which you are objecting. 

Rating Valuation Objection Portal

Objections to a valuation shown on your council valuation and rate notice can be lodged electronically with the Victorian State Government's objections portal.  

CLICK HERE TO VISIT RATING OBJECTION PORTAL

For more information on objecting to a valuation, visit the Victorian Government website here.

You can also refer to the following sections of the Valuation of Land Act 1960:

• Who can object – Section 16
• Grounds for objection – Section 17
• Time within which you must lodge an objection with the council – Section 18
• How objections are dealt with – Section 21
• The appeals process – Section 22.

If you are having issues accessing the online objection portal or have any queries, please contact Council's Revenue Officer on 03 5391 4444.

If you are experiencing difficulty paying your rates and charges by the due instalment dates, please contact our rates department on 03 5391 4444 to arrange a payment plan.

Related Documents:
Hindmarsh Shire Council Financial Hardship Policy(PDF, 176KB)
Hindmarsh Shire Council Financial Hardship Application Form(PDF, 261KB)

If you hold a Pensioner Concession Card issued by Centrelink or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs you may be eligible to a rate rebate on your principal place of residence.

To apply for this rebate you will need to complete a Municipal Rates Concession form and provide us with a copy of your current Pensioner Concession Card. This form can be accessed online by clicking here, or by requesting one from any of our Customer Service Centres via telephone, email or in person.

Applications to claim a pensioner rebate can be made at any time during the year.  This is a rebate provided by Department of Families, Fairness and Housing and is subject to strict guidelines. For further information on the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, their municipal rates concession and associated guidelines, you can visit their website here.

To apply for a Land Information Certificate, please fill out the property enquiry application form:

Property Enquiry Application Form(PDF, 134KB)

What is a land information certificate?

A land information certificate contains important land, building or planning information. 

Certificates may include information about: 

• land valuations and rates 
• building regulations 
• water 
• sewers and drains 
• flood levels 
• planning restrictions 
• bushfire areas 
• conservation 
• heritage listings 
• land tax 
• VicRoads 

Property information certificates are used when a property is being bought or sold. Please visit Consumer Affairs Victoria for information on buying and selling. 

We strongly recommend you talk to a conveyancer or lawyer to find out what you need to supply as a seller, or check if you are a buyer. 

How to order a Property Information Certificate

Normally, a conveyancer or lawyer will order certificates on your behalf. 

You can also order certificates yourself online through LANDATA® and authorised information brokers.