Payment of Rates
Council rates are billed quarterly in accordance with the Local Government Act 1999. The instalment due dates are September, December, March and June each year.
Rates may be paid as follows:
- Telephone/internet using the Bpay services through participating banks
- Phone the District Council of Elliston on 08 8687 9177 during business hours to pay with Bankcard, Mastercard or Visa. Please quote your Assessment Number
- Post Billpay – paying in person at any Post Office, phone 131816 or go to postbillpay.com.au
- Post your cheque (marked payable to the District Council of Elliston) with your remittance to the DC of Elliston, PO Box 46, Elliston SA 5670
- In person at the District Council of Elliston Offices at 21 Beach Terrace, Elliston SA 5670.
The due dates for quarterly payments are shown on the front of the rate notice. Ratepayers unable to pay their rates by the quarterly billing due dates may apply to the Council to arrange an alternative payment option in accordance with Chapter 10 of the Local Government Act 1999.
Ratepayers may apply to pay their rates and service charges in full by the 2nd quarter due date; such applications must be lodged with Council by the 1st quarter due date; if rates in these circumstances are paid in full by 2nd quarter due date, fines and interest will not be applied for the 1st quarter to 2nd quarter period.
Late Payment of Rates
The Local Government Act 1999 provides that councils impose a penalty of 2% on any payment for rates, whether instalment or otherwise, that is received late. A payment that continues to be late is then charged an interest rate, set each year according to a formula in the Act, for each month it continues to be late. The purpose of this penalty is to act as a genuine deterrent to ratepayers who might otherwise fail to pay their rates on time, to allow councils to recover the administrative cost of following up unpaid rates and to cover any interest cost the council may meet because it has not received the rates on time.
The Council imposes late payment penalties strictly in accordance with the Local Government Act 1999.
When the Council receives a payment in respect of overdue rates the Council applies the money received as follows:
- First – to satisfy any costs awarded in connection with court proceedings
- Second – to satisfy any interest costs
- Third – in payment of any fines imposed
- Fourth – in payment of rates, in date order of their imposition (starting with the oldest account first).
Sale of Land for Non-payment of Rates
The Local Government Act 1999 (Section 184) provides that Council may sell any property where the rates have been in arrears for three years or more. The Council is required to provide the principal ratepayer and the owner (if not the same person) with details of the outstanding amounts and advise the owner of its intention to sell the land if payment of the outstanding amount is not received within one month.