We can provide short term financial assistance to residential properties by providing postponement of rates in the first instance and remission of rates once an application has been received, to those ratepayers that have been detrimentally affected by erosion, subsidence, submersion or another natural hazard event;
Rates remission is to alleviate some of the financial pressure faced by residents that have had to move out of their homes.
Conditions and Criteria
The following conditions and criteria apply:
- Council may postpone and remit rates charged on a rating unit if a dwelling is detrimentally affected by erosion, subsidence, submersion or other natural hazard event to such an extent that the resident ratepayers are no longer able to reside there.
- Applications for rates remission must be made in writing and be received by Council within a period of 12 months from the date on which the natural hazard event occurred.
- An application will only be considered where the following criteria are met:
- The ratepayer must be the current owner of the rating unit which is the subject of application.
- The rating unit must be a residential property.
- Rates remitted may exclude the following service charges: water, sewerage disposal and mobile rubbish bins.
- Council may remit rates for the duration of the period that the residents are unable to reside in the dwelling for a period of up to 90 days commencing seven days after the natural hazard event.
- At the end of the 90 day period, the Council may extend the remission of rates to a fixed date if applicants can demonstrate adequate reasons for not being able to inhabit the dwelling within the 90 day period, e.g. section 124 notice (dangerous building) under the Building Act 2004.
This process is fully outlined in the Rates Remission and Postponement for a Rating Unit Affected by a Natural Hazard section of our Rates Remission and Postponement Policies.