FAQs
- Improve fairness and equity in how rates are applied.
- Align rating with land use, service demand, and capacity to pay.
- Support strategic goals such as housing availability, economic development, and infrastructure planning.
- Ensure financial sustainability and transparency.
- Reduce the fixed charge from 38% to 34% of total rate revenue.
- Ensures all ratepayers contribute to shared services while improving equity for lower-value properties.
- Adjust differential rates over three years or less for land use categories:
- Commercial & Industrial: Reduced from 270% to 200%.
- Primary Production: Increased from 100% to 250%.
- Vacant Land: Maintained at 270%.
- Residential & Other: Maintained at 100%.
- Properties used predominantly for SSRA will be rated as Commercial – Other from 1 July 2027.
- Reflects income-generating use and higher service demand
- Rating and Rate Rebate Policies updated to reflect proposed changes and improve clarity.
- Non-rating strategies (e.g. CBD master planning) to support economic revitalisation.
- Rate growth assumptions to be reviewed annually to ensure accurate forecasting and service planning.
- Residential: Modest increase of approx. $49 or 3.44%.
- Commercial & Industrial: Decrease of approx. 12–13%.
- Primary Production: Significant increase of approx. $3,047 or 142%.
- Vacant Land: Modest increase of approx. $120 or 6.5%.
- Other: Modest increase of $271 or 11.21%.
- SSRA: Significant Increase of approx. $1,167 or 73% due to reclassification to commercial-other land use.
- Public Consultation Period: Open until 5pm, 18 November 2025
- Public Meeting: Scheduled for 18 November 2025 (only if submissions to speak are received by 4pm, 13 November 2025)
- Council Decision: Final decision to be made at the Council Meeting on 16 December 2025
Why is Council undertaking a Rating review?
The LGA 1999 allows Councils reasonable flexibility in the way it raises rates. It is best practice to review this from time to time to ensure Council's Rating Strategy remains relevant.
Importantly, this review does not evaluate the level of rates charged, the services provided by the Council or how much revenue from rates is raised. Its focus is to consider if the distribution of rates is equitable across our ratepayers.
What is being proposed?
The City of Mount Gambier is reviewing its rating structure to ensure fairness and equity. Key changes are proposed which will affect how the rate burden is distributed across different land use categories.
Why is this change being proposed?
What are the key proposed changes?
Fixed Charge Adjustment
Phased Differential Rating Structure
Short Stay Rental Accommodation (SSRA)
Updated Policies
Support for Shopping Precincts
Annual Review of Rate Growth
Will my rates change?
Ratepayers will experience varying degrees of change depending on their land use categories. These changes are proposed to implemented over a 3 year period with the final year of implementation being 2028/29.
On average ratepayers will experience the following changes by 2028/29:
How do I know if my rates will change in line with the average?
Some ratepayers will experience changes above and some below the average.
If you have major concerns about the impact to your individual assessment, please use the email below to request.
The modelling is based on current capital valuations and land use classifications, acknowledging that future changes such as new developments, valuations shifts and inflation may influence outcomes over the years so have been excluded.
How can I have my say?
Council is inviting community feedback on the proposed changes.