Fremantle - rates

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
Receipt by the City or its agencies of a payment for the full balance owing 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 $9.00 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. A $44.00 (GST Inclusive) fee will apply where the City is required to undertake recovery proceedings after issuance of a “Final” notice. 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. A $44.00 (GST Inclusive) fee will apply where the City is required to undertake recovery proceedings after issuance of a “Final” notice.

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 $22.00 (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 Landgate Valuation Services, PO Box 7201, Cloisters Square PERTH WITHIN 60 days of the date of issue of the rate notice.Landgate Valuation Services may be contacted on (08) 9429 8549 or (08) 9429 8542 to discuss a valuation or the appeal process.
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.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS
It is the property owner’s responsibility to provide written notification to the City’s Rates Section of a change in address. Such notification may be made in person at the City or via fax, post or e-mail to info@fremantle.wa.gov.au. A $17.00 fee will apply where rate notices are posted to a party other than the property owner.

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 forgo the concession and defer the current rates, ESL. Deferral is only applicable where eligible for a “Full” concession with payment of any deferrals required where a change in property circumstances, such as strata titling/ 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 $244.80 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 under such a program must be paid in addition to the pensioners/seniors portion of the current rates. Application 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.

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”. Any queries relating to the Gross Rental Value are to be directed to the Valuer Generals Office on (08) 9429 8549 or (08) 9429 8542. Where this calculation fails to equate to the “Minimum Rate”, the minimum rate is therefore levied on the property.
Differential rates known as General Rates and Fremantle First Rates will apply from the 1st July 2008. General rates will be applicable to all properties other than Commercial businesses located within the City Centre zone and abutting Metropolitan Regional reserves. These properties will be subject to the Fremantle First Rates.
Differential rates will be:
General Rate: Rate in Dollar: $0.07940 Minimum Rate: $866.00
Fremantle First Rate: Rate in Dollar: $0.083944 Minimum Rate: $866.00

OBJECT AND REASONS FOR DIFFERENTIAL RATES
In 2008/2009 the City assumed management of the Fremantle First brand and introduced a differential rate to fund the management, administration and delivery of marketing activities which are aimed at enhancing central Fremantle’s economic and social viability and its general amenity, making it an exciting and vibrant focus for the whole of the south west metropolitan area. A decision was taken during the year to drop the Fremantle First branding with the differential rate in the future being referred to as Fremantle City Marketing rate. The rate is applicable to all commercial businesses located within the boundaries of the City Centre zone and the abutting Metropolitan Regional reserves being areas bounded by Parry Street, Norfolk Street and including those businesses located in Fremantle Fishing Boat and Challenger Harbours and on Victoria Quay.

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 2009 to the 30th June 2010 will be $425.00.

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 directly 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
A safety and security strategy for a specified area of the Fremantle CBD that 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.
(b) Underground Power Chalmers/Knutsford Streets
To fund costs associated with provision of Underground Power to properties in Chalmers and Knutsford Streets, Fremantle including interest on borrowings used to finance the project.

SERVICE CHARGES
Local governments may set service charges for prescribed services and in the 2006/2007 financial year, Council levied service charges to fund the costs for provision of Underground Power to properties in the Underground Power East area.
Where a property situated within this area is sold and/or its ownership changed then the balance of any underground power charge is due and payable in FULL.