Understanding Your Rates

Your general rate is the main part of your rates notice. It is based on your property value and helps fund everyday Council services such as roads, parks and community facilities.

The Fire Services Levy is collected by Council on behalf of the State Government and passed to the Tasmania Fire Service.

This levy helps fund fire and emergency services across Tasmania and is required under State legislation.

The Landfill Levy is a State Government charge applied to all properties. It supports waste reduction, diversion and recycling initiatives across Tasmania, helping move towards a circular economy.  

For more information refer to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania website:  Landfill Levy

Service charges are fixed charges that apply to specific services. These may vary depending on your property and location.

The Council levies service charges for:

• Stormwater Removal: Funds maintenance and upgrades of drainage, connections, and stormwater systems (including road drainage), plus improvements to municipal stormwater management.

plus Waste Management which has 3 components:

• Kerbside collection: Charged only to properties with access to the service.
• Municipal waste: Funds public bins, street cleaning, event waste, dumping clean-up, and recovery site operations — paid by all ratepayers.
• Landfill levy:  State levy supporting waste diversion initiatives.

Remissions

Some properties may be eligible for reduced service charges if they are unable to access the service, refer to the Rates and Charges Policy(PDF, 1MB)  for eligibility criteria.

• Rates Residential Waste Remission Request(PDF, 409KB)
• Rates Stormwater Remission Request(PDF, 407KB)

Properties in Tasmania are re-valued by the State Government through the Office of the Valuer-General under the Valuation of Land Act 2001, for local government rating and tax purposes.

General revaluations are issued every six years, with properties within the Burnie municipal next scheduled for valuation in 2026. 

In 2024-25 an interim Adjusted Annual Assessed Value (AAV) has been provided by the Office of the Valuer-General to take account of the significant increases in property values since the last valuation occurred.  These adjusted valuations are the values on which properties have been rated.

If you disagree with your valuation, you can lodge an objection with the Office of the Valuer-General within 60 days of the receipt of your valuation notice.  Objections can be lodged online at www.nre.tas.gov.au/ovg.  A form may also be downloaded from their website.