My rates bill
Pay your rates bill
We issue a rate notice to property owners twice every year, usually in January and July. Each notice covers your rates for the next six months.
Your rates fund essential Council services like:
- roads
- public transport
- waste collection
- parks and recreation spaces
- community facilities
- koala habitat protection
- libraries.
We allocate a rating category to each property, based on how the property is used and the value of its land. We use your property's rating category to calculate your General Rate charge.
The standard charges you are likely to see on the rate notice are:
General Rate
The General Rate is the basic rate used to fund Council services, which we are required to charge by law.
The rating category applied to your property is shown under General Rate on page 2 of your rates notice.
To find out how your General Rate is calculated, see the section below.
Waste Management Utility Charge
The Waste Management Utility Charge covers the cost of collection, disposal and processing of solid waste and recyclables from your property.
Download What your waste charges contribute to(PDF, 428KB)
Recycling Utility Charge
This charge, along with a new $10 million fund we have established will support:
- community recycling hubs and programs
- green organics drop-and-go sites
- new infrastructure so we can recycle more materials.
The initiatives are in line with the State Waste Strategy. The strategy encourages local governments to extend the life of landfills by recycling more and burying less waste. For more information visit my waste.
State Emergency Management Levy
We collect the State Emergency Management Levy on behalf of Queensland Fire and Emergency Services. The levy is used to fund our emergency services. The amount of the levy depends on the classification of your property.
City Transport Improvement Charge
The City Transport Improvement Charge funds Council cabs, bus stops, bicycle and pedestrian pathways, rapid transport, improvements to local roads, as well as expanded bus services across the city.
Volunteer Fire Brigade Charge
The Volunteer Fire Brigade Charge helps subsidise the operational expenses of rural fire brigades; supplementing the Emergency Management Levy.
Open Space including Koala Habitat, Maintenance and Enhancement Separate Charge
The Open Space including Koala Habitat, Maintenance and Enhancement Separate Charge supports activities contributing to the management and conservation of the city's natural areas, including opportunities for nature-based recreation.
Recreational Space Charge
We use monies from the Recreational Space Charge to purchase areas of large open space for sport and recreation.
State Waste Levy Charge
The State Government Waste Disposal Levy is payable by the City on all waste disposed to landfill. We recover the cost of the Waste Levy from customers. For more information regarding the Waste Levy visit the Queensland Government website.
Your General Rate charge is based on the value of your land and your property's rating category. We also charge every property owner with other rates and standard charges that we set each year.
The value of your land is set each year by the Queensland Government's Department of Resources. For information about land valuations, see the Department of Resources website, contact the Department on 13 QGOV (13 74 68) or visit a Department of Resources office.
Your property's rating category is based on how the property is used (such as owner-occupier, permanent or tourist rental, or commercial use). For a summary of the categories used to rate properties on the Gold Coast please see our current Rating Category Statement(PDF, 87KB)
The annual resolution of Rates and Charges is included in the budget adoption process for each financial year. To view this financial year's differential rates for each category, download Special Council Meeting confirmed minutes(PDF, 870KB)
If you change the way your property is used (for example, if you rent out your house), please let us know by completing the form below so we can update your rating category.
Confirm your property rating category
To calculate the General Rate charge, we use the average of your land valuation over the previous three years multiplied by our rate for your relevant rating category. A minimum General Rate will apply if your land value is below a set threshold.
When the rateable value of your land changes, we will change your General Rate from the date of the valuation notice.