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Rates and payments
Council > rates
PAYMENTS CAN BE MADE:
- Over the Internet www.freofocus.com.au using MasterCard or Visa. (Not acceptable for any rate assessment of $10,000 or more)
- Look for the red Bill EXPRESS® logo at newsagents to pay your notice with cash, cheque, debit card, MasterCard or Visa.
- In person at Australia Post or Agencies (Cash & Cheque Only)
- In person at the Cashier’s Office of the City of Fremantle, Town Hall, 8 William St, Fremantle
- By mail to City of Fremantle, PO Box 807, Fremantle 6959 (Cheque Only - Made payable to the City of Fremantle and marked “Not Negotiable”)
- By Phone 1300 766 677 using MasterCard or Visa. (Not acceptable for any rate assessment of $10,000 or more)
- By BPAY from your savings, cheque or credit accounts. (See your financial institution for further details)
EMERGENCY SERVICES LEVY
Legislation was passed in December 2002 which requires all Western Australian property owners to contribute to the State's fire and emergency services through the Emergency Services Levy, commencing 1 July 2003. For further information please contact FESA on 1300 136 099.
To view the council’s statement on the ESL click here.
PAYMENT OPTIONS
The City of Fremantle has resolved to offer ratepayers’ the opportunity to pay their rates by one of the following options:
FULL PAYMENT
Full payment of the total rates by 5.00pm on the due date with no additional interest or fees payable.
PAYMENT BY INSTALMENT
Ratepayers may elect to pay this account by four instalments. Details of due dates, amounts and instalment option cost of 5.5% pa interest and $7.00 per instalment are stated on the front of this notice. TO ELECT TO PAY BY INSTALMENT WILL REQUIRE PAYMENT OF ALL ARREARS, INTEREST ACCRUED AND THE FIRST INSTALMENT BY 5.00PM ON THE FIRST DUE DATE. Reminder notices will issue prior to the due dates of each instalment with any OVERDUE instalment being subject to penalty interest. If two or more instalments remain unpaid then the City may cancel this facility without refund of any instalment fee or interest. If such cancellation occurs then any remaining rates, levies and service charges will be classified as OVERDUE.
OVERDUE RATES
Where full payment or election of the instalment option fails to eventuate by the first due date then all remaining rates, levies and service charges will be OVERDUE and subject to accrual of penalty interest and legal recovery proceedings. All property owners are jointly and severally liable for any OVERDUE rates, levies and service charges with all costs associated with any legal recovery proceedings being added to the property. In accordance with Section 6.64 of the Local Government Act 1995, if rates, levies and service charges remain unpaid for a period of 3 years or more, the City may (a) From time to time lease the land (b) Sell the land (c) Cause the land to be transferred to the Crown or (d) Cause the land to be transferred to itself.
ARREARS
Represent unpaid rates, levies, service charges, fees and/or interest from prior rating periods. Arrears are subject to penalty interest accrual and legal recovery proceedings.
PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS
Ratepayers experiencing difficulties in paying their rates, levies and service charges must send a written clearance proposal to the City, prior to any due date, for consideration. Any payment arrangement approved by the City will be subject to a $33.00 (GST Inclusive) Overdue Rate Payment Arrangement fee and penalty interest.
PENALTY INTEREST
Penalty interest at the rate of 11.00% pa will accrue on any OVERDUE instalments, OVERDUE rates, levies and service charges or ARREARS and will receive clearance preference.
OBJECTIONS AND APPEAL PROVISIONS
Rate Book – The Local Government Act 1995 provides the grounds on which, and the time and manner in which, individual objections and appeals to the rate book may be instituted. An objection to the rate book shall be made in writing to the City WITHIN 42 days of the date of issue of this rate notice.
Valuations – The Valuation of Land Act 1978 (as amended) sets out the manner in which objections and appeals may be instituted regarding valuations. An objection against the valuation must be made in writing and received by the Valuer General, 18 Mount Street, Perth WITHIN 60 days of the date of issue of the rate notice.
NOTE: THE LODGEMENT OF AN OBJECTION OR APPEAL DOES NOT ALLEVIATE A RATEPAYER’S RESPONSIBILTY OR LIABILITY TO PAY ALL RATES, LEVIES AND SERVICE CHARGES OWED, BY THE DUE DATE. WHERE APPLICABLE ANY OVERPAYMENT WILL BE REFUNDED SHOULD A REVALUATION RESULT IN A REDUCTION OF RATES, LEVIES OR SERVICE CHARGES LEVIED.
CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP
Under the provisions of the Local Government Act 1995 a written advice must be provided to the City within 21 days of a rateable property being sold, disposed of or having its ownership changed. Details of the land description and name and address of the new owner must be provided. Proof of any change in ownership may be required by the City prior to its records being altered.
PENSIONER/SENIOR CONCESSIONS
Pensioners who receive a pension and who hold a Pensioner Concession Card or State Concession Card or hold both a Seniors Card issued by the Office of Seniors Interests and a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card may be entitled to a concession of up to 50% off the current rates and ESL or deferral of the current rates, ESL and concession. Payment of any deferrals will be required where a change in circumstances, such as property ownership, occurs. Seniors who hold a Seniors Card issued by the Office of Seniors Interests may be entitled to a concession of up to 25% on the current rates and ESL, limited to a maximum $227.20 on the rates. Eligibility for any concession or deferral are subject to the property owner/s residing in the property as at the 1st July of any rating year, full payment on or before the 30th June of the rating year of the pensioner/senior’s portion of the current rates and ESL and/or commencement of an acceptable payment program regarding any ARREARS owed on the property. Payments such a program must be paid in addition to the pensioners/seniors portion of the current rates. Applications for a concession may be made on line at www.watercorporation.com.au by following the links to concessions, by calling 1300 659 951 or in person at the City. Any concession will be pro-rated from the date that an approved application is lodged with the Water Corporation or the City.
NOTE: A PENALTY OF $1000.00 IS APPLICABLE SHOULD A CLAIM BE MADE FOR A PENSIONER/SENIOR CONCESSION WHEN INELIGIBLE FOR SUCH A CONCESSION.
SUPPLEMENTARY/INTERIM RATES
The City of Fremantle may be required to issue supplementary/interim rates during the course of a financial year for various reasons, some of which are completion of a new building or structure, alteration, addition or demolition of an existing building or structure, variation to land due to either amalgamation and or subdivision/strata titling, an error in valuation or rating of a property or subsequent revaluation of the property.
In accordance with Section 6.39 of the Local Government Act 1995, the City may amend the rate record for the current year and for the 5 years preceding the current year.
GENERAL RATES CALCULATIONS
Annually Council sets a “Rate in the Dollar” and a “Minimum Rate” amount that is applied to all rateable properties within the City. Rates are calculated by multiplying the Gross Rental Value, which is supplied by the Valuer General’s Office, by the “Rate in the Dollar”. Where this calculation fails to equate to the “Minimum Rate”, the minimum rate is therefore levied on the property. For the rating period 1st July 2007 to the 30th June 2008, the Rate in the Dollar will be $0.087323 and the minimum rate will be $730.00.
MINIMUM RATE
The City sets a minimum rate to ensure that each property contributes a minimum amount towards the services, upgrading and maintenance of the municipality. The minimum rate also reflects that the cost of rubbish collection is basically the same for each property.
WASTE CHARGES
With the exception of Residential Rate Exempt Properties the City includes the waste charge applicable to a single standard service collection within each property’s rate levy. Residential rate exempt properties will incur a waste charge which for the rating period 1st July 2007 to the 30th June 2008 will be $356.00.
STATE GOVERNMENT EMERGENCY SERVICES LEVY
The Emergency Services Levy is a compulsory State Government levy which is forwarded to FESA to fund the Career Fire and Rescue Service, Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service, Bush Fire Brigades, SES units and FESA units throughout Western Australia. For further information please refer to the enclosed brochure, FESA website at www.fesa.wa.gov.au or contact FESA on 1300 136 099.
GENERAL INFORMATION
In accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 please be aware that certain personal information supplied to us by completion and payment of this notice becomes part of a rates database and may be available to the public on payment of the prescribed fee. For further information, telephone 9432 9899
SPECIFIED AREA RATES
(a) Security Service
In July 2004 Council introduced a safety and security strategy for a specified area of the Fremantle CBD – with the costs being recovered through a specified area rate. The area for the service is bounded by Parry Street, South Terrace, Suffolk Street, Fishing Boat Harbour (west of Mews Road) and along the coast to Bathers Beach, Fleet Street, Phillimore Street and Elder Place. This service aims to reduce anti-social behaviours on the street (such as theft, vandalism and graffiti), noise and disturbance for residents and illegal drug and street drinking activity. It will also monitor and respond to the impacts of licensed premises and provide safer, smoother access to transport solutions at the ‘hotspot’ times. Services and facilities provided by the strategy are expected to include a physical presence on the street, call out/response capability, lighting and infrastructure improvements plus and an inspection regime.
(b) Underground Power Chalmers/Knutsford Streets
Property owners within the scheme area will be required to pay the costs including the interest on loan borrowings to fund the loan raised to meet the construction costs. The costs will be recovered over five years. The construction phase of the scheme is anticipated to commence and be completed in 2007/2008. Council Item SGS0707-4 of 25 July 2007 refers.
SERVICE CHARGES
Local governments may set service charges for prescribed services and in 2007/2008 Council is levying service charges for the prescribed service of underground power as follows:-
Underground Power East – Areas A, B & C
This scheme involves approximately 1,619 properties in three areas, which have been termed Areas A, B and C. Area A is residential properties east of East Street, Area B is a generally residential area between East Street and Tuckfield Street and Area C is a generally commercial area between Quarry Street and Beach Street. Council resolved to proceed with the scheme on the basis of the results of a community survey and other investigations as part of a detailed Proposal Stage, and of the significant long-term benefits that the undergrounding of power lines and the installation of new lighting will bring to the project area. Charges levied in 2007/2008 relate to ratepayers who elected to pay by instalments. An update of works completed as at the beginning of July 2007 was;
Area A – Drilling 100% completed, House Services 95% completed, Demolition 8% completed and Street Lights 80% completed.
Area B & C – Drilling 25% completed, House Services 50% completed, Demolition not started and Street Lights 50% completed.
It is estimated that drilling will be completed in October 2007, electrical work completed in February 2008 and demolition, streetlights and reinstatement will be completed in May 2008.
NOTE: THE BALANCE OF ANY UNDERGROUND POWER CHARGE IS DUE AND PAYABLE IN FULL WHERE PROPERTY OWNERSHIP IS CHANGED AND/OR A PROPERTY IS SOLD.
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