Your rates notice explained
The example rates notice is designed to give you an overview of things you might see on your rates notice.
Some items, such as raw water connection, green waste or strata fees for example, will not be available to all properties so won’t appear on your bill. You can also view the image via pdf here.
Explanation of Landfill Rehabilitation Charge
This charged was introduced in the 2024/2025 year.
By law, we are required to undertake the rehabilitation of unused landfills to ensure environmental protection. Rehabilitation exercises are quite expensive and can cost between $500,000 to $1million per site. Currently we have several sites under this category.
The trigger to undertake said works is based on risk assessments and the results of ongoing monitoring (we have bores around old landfills to monitor ground water quality), which in itself incurs operational costs.
Accounting standards (enforced by the Auditor General) also require us to build up a Landfill Rehabilitation Reserve, so that we have funds to cover the required works.
Funds raised through the landfill rehabilitation charge will go directly to shore up this reserve, it will not be used for anything else.
Explanation of Waste Charge - Vacant/No Bin
This is a waste charge that is levied on vacant properties (i.e. nothing constructed) and constructed properties that do not have a bin.
The vacant / serviced charge has been in place since amalgamation (and prior to that at both former Wakool and Murray).
This charge is not just confined to Waste: Water (both Raw and Filtered) and Sewer all have a vacant/no connection charge, which is a lower than the charges levied for a connected/serviced property.
If you have any questions about your rates notice you can touch base with our Rates Team on 1300 087 004.
2025/26 Fees and Charges for your property
The below fact sheet offers an overview of the 2025/2026 rates and charges for your property and the various amounts that may charged based on your property/business.
2025-26-rates-and-charges-explainer(PDF, 177KB)
General fees and charges that are applied to our services such as waste disposal, recreation, community amenities, and environmental services can be found in our Schedule of Fees here.
How do we calculate your general rates?
There are five rating categories in Murray River Council: Residential Urban, Residential Non-Urban, Business Urban, Business Non-Urban & Farmland. You can find out more about categories & rates in our Revenue Policy here.
How do land valuations impact your rates?
In NSW, land valuations, determined by the Valuer General, are a key factor in calculating council rates, but they don’t directly translate to a proportional increase in rates.
As per the graphic above, rates are calculated in two parts: a base charge (the same for every landowner) and a variable charge (ad valorem, based on land value and rating category).
In Murray River Council, land revaluations usually occur every three years. Ratepayers will have received a Notice of Valuation from the Valuer General with their updated land valuations in early 2025. These updated valuations have been used to calculate your rates from July 1, 2025.
The Valuer General is an independent statutory officer appointed by the Governor of NSW. For enquiries relating to land values, you should contact the Valuer General office directly on 1800 110 038.