Rates Remission - Community Organisations and Clubs and Societies

Conditions and Criteria 

To be eligible for this remission the following criteria must be satisfied:

• The land must be used exclusively or principally for sporting, recreation, or community purposes, 

• Organisations must be ‘not for profit’ and/or for charitable purposes.

Organisations who exist for private pecuniary profit or engage in recreational, sporting or community services as a secondary purpose are not eligible.

Council retains discretion as to whether to grant a remission in any particular case.

Extent of remissions

Eligible organisations will receive a rates remission of 100% of the assessed Rates INCLUDING service charges EXCEPT for a maximum of one Targeted Rate charge, set for each of water, sewerage and solid waste collection services.

For avoidance of doubt - any rating unit with sewerage pan charges over and above the sewerage base charge will receive 100% remission of the pan charges.

Any eligible rating unit that is within 30 metres of the sewerage network and/or 100 metres from the water network, but is not connected, will have the serviceability rate/s remitted.

Any organisation opting for a private solid waste collection arrangement will not pay the solid waste collection rate and would not receive a collection service.

Applications

Organisations that have not previously received a remission must complete an application form for rates remission. Applications must be received by Council by 30 April.

For organisations that have previously received rates remission, an application form needs to be completed by the organisation every 3 years to confirm that the land-use remains eligible for remissions for the subsequent 3 years. Applications must be received by Council by 30 April, prior to the commencement of the rating year.

A completed application MUST be received before a rates remission can be considered. It is the responsibility of the applicant to notify Council of any change in circumstance in the interim period between applications.

Organisations making application should include the following in support of their application:

• Statement of objectives 

• Full financial accounts 

• Information of activities and programmes 

• Details of membership

Organisations making application should ensure that the application provides sufficient information to demonstrate that:

• Their activities benefit or are available to the entire community 

• They are currently operative 

• They are ‘not or profit’ and/or for charitable purposes 

• The land for which they are seeking remission is exclusively or principally for sporting, recreation, or community purposes.