Each year Council collects rates to fund the community infrastructure and services that make the Northern Beaches such a special place to live.
Your rates notice may also include charges for Domestic Waste and Stormwater Management Services.
See our budget highlights and summary of spending areas and view our interactive map to see what is planned for your area.
Read more about Council's activities and projects in our annual Delivery and Operational Plan.
Factors involved in the calculation of your rates
Rates may vary from year to year based on a combination of annual maximum increases approved by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) rate pegging and special rate variations (SRV) and/or changes to land values as supplied to Council by the NSW Valuer General.
The rate peg increase allowed by IPART relates to general income in total and not to an individual ratepayers’ rates. Individual rates are also affected by other factors such as land valuations by the NSW Valuer General. As such, rates for individual ratepayers may vary by more or less than the percentage allowable, depending on how an individual ratepayers’ land valuation has changed in a particular year compared to the land values of other ratepayers.
Land valuation
Rates for Northern Beaches Council properties for 2026/27 have been assessed using land values issued by the NSW Valuer General with a base date of 1 July 2025.
Council receives updated land values from the NSW Valuer General at least once every three years. The Valuer General now issues new land values to councils on a staggered schedule, with around one-third of councils receiving updated values each year. Northern Beaches Council is next due to receive updated land values in 2028 (with a valuation base date of 1 July 2027) for use in calculating rates for the 2028/29 rating year.
A land revaluation does not increase the total amount of rates Council collects. The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) sets a limit on the total rates income Council can raise each year. Instead, a revaluation changes how the total rates are distributed between properties, meaning some properties may experience a higher or lower change in rates than others, depending on how their land value has changed relative to other properties.
Rates due date
Rates are levied each year for the period of 1 July to 30 June. You will receive an annual rates notice and then instalment notices four times a year, unless you pay for the year by the first due date – 31 August.
Rates payments are due by 31 August, 30 November, 28 February and 31 May.
Financial hardship
Council has a policy to provide assistance for ratepayers experiencing genuine financial hardship.
You may be eligible for a concession on the grounds of hardship. Council may also be able to assist by agreeing to alternative payment plans.
If you are having difficulty in paying your rates, you should contact Council as soon as possible to discuss the options available under Councils Rates and Annual Charges Hardship Policy.
Download the Hardship Rate Relief Form
Beach Parking Permits
Visit our webpage for FAQs and to check eligibility on Beach Parking Permits.
Your rates & charges notice at glance
