Rates across the Central Coast Local Government Area (LGA) will change from July 2021. Rates are changing due to:

1. Rates harmonisation which addresses the current rates imbalance from the rate path freeze and align the rating structure across the LGA for all rating categories.
2. A 15 percent special variation (SV) rates increase. To help ensure Council’s financial sustainability, the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal approved the special variation (SV) rates increase for three years – it is a temporary one-off increase and is inclusive of the rate peg.

Rates harmonisation means that rates are calculated in the same way across the Central Coast to ensure rates levels are fair and equitable. At the time of amalgamation, ratepayers in the former Wyong Shire Council paid higher rates than those in the former Gosford City Council for a property of equivalent value due to a NSW Government rates freeze – rates harmonisation corrects this imbalance.

The rates freeze has been lifted and Central Coast Council will have one rating path/structure for the entire Central Coast Local Government Area from 1 July 2021.

Council is harmonising the minimum ordinary rate to $565 in 2021-22. Harmonising the minimum rate to $565 means that all ratepayers will be levied rates of at least $565 regardless of your property’s land value. Based on current land values the minimum rates will apply to all properties with a land value up to $187,000. Properties with land values above $187,000 will pay more than the minimum rate of $565.

How much Ordinary Rates (less the Domestic Waste Management charge) will go up or down due to harmonisation is largely dependent on the value of land.
Residential land values in the former Gosford City Council area are on average 43 percent higher than those in the former Wyong Shire Council area. This means that former Gosford City Council area ratepayers have been paying significantly less in rates than former Wyong Shire Council area ratepayers with the same land value.

To ensure Council remains financially sustainable Council applied to IPART for an SV rates increase of 15 percent to provide an additional $22.9M in income 2021-22 financial year. IPART approved an SV for three years - it is a temporary one-off increase and is inclusive of the rate peg.

The special variation of 15 percent does not apply to the total amount payable as shown on your Council rates notices. It only applies to the total amount of Ordinary Rates Council can collect (so excludes the Domestic Waste Management charge).

Rates in the Wyong Shire Council area are on average decreasing by 20 percent due to harmonisation. With the 15 percent SV, the average change for ratepayers in the former Wyong Shire Council is a $2 per week decrease.

Rates in the former Gosford City area are on average increasing by 26 percent due to harmonisation. With the 15 percent SV, the average change for ratepayers in the former Gosford City Council is a $8 per week increase.

The amount that Council can increase its rate income each year is set by IPART and called the rate peg. The rate peg for 2021-22 has been set at two percent. This means even without the SV rate increase, Council’s rate income would have increased by two percent.