Types of Rates

Launceston City June 2023 - High Saturation - 40_websize
Some rates and charges apply to specific services, while others are used to fund other Council responsibilities.

Please note all Local Government rates are GST exempt. 

General Rate and Charge

Levied to fund a range of Council services such as roads, storm water, planning, and recreation. This rate is applied to all properties in the municipal area other than those which are specifically exempted by statute.

Waste Management Charge

A flat charge that funds the weekly garbage and recycling collection service. If you would like to change the size of your wheelie bin or request an additional service please call the Council's Customer Service Centre on 03 6323 3000. Please note a fee may apply.

State Government Waste Levy (Offset)

A service charge for waste management services to offset a levy payable by the Council to the State Government under the Waste and Resource Recovery Act 2022 (a Waste Management Levy Offset Service Charge) is applied in respect of all land to which a waste management service charge is applicable totalling $22.05 for 2024/25. This service charge was introduced from 1 July 2022 in order to reimburse Council for the new State Government Waste Levy incurred for landfill which was introduced as a disincentive to sending waste to landfill, with money collected by the State Government through the Levy to be reinvested in improving local recycling, composting and resource recovery services, facilities and infrastructure.

State Fire Service Rate

The State Fire Service Rate is collected on behalf of the State Government to contribute towards the funding of the State Fire Commission and is applied based on various fire districts as determined by the State Fire Service. The applicable district is based on your area of service by the brigade responsive to your property in the instance of a fire. Councils in Tasmania raise and collect the levy and pass the funds on to the State Government to fund the servicing of these service areas.

CBD Promotional Rate

Levied to fund promotional activities within the Central Business District (CBD). This rate applies to properties within a defined area in the centre of the city.

In June 2021, Council resolved to redistribute the Central Business District rate over a period of four years to more evenly distribute the revenue across the other rating categories.