Rates

City of Launceston Street View Rates are a form of taxation collected by the Council to help fund services and infrastructure that benefit the entire community.

Each year, rates are set by estimating the annual cost of services, infrastructure and projects needing to be funded.

Our Rates Officers and Finance Department then estimate how much revenue will be received as grants from the State and Federal Governments, as well as Council-issued fees. The balance of the expenditure is funded from rates and charges.

Important update to your direct debit payments

From July 2026, all annual rates and charges direct debits will be managed through our new payment provider, Payble.
Council will automatically cancel your existing direct debit as of the 10 July 2026.
After this date, you’ll need to pay your rates using one of our other payment options unless you sign up with Payble.
If you don’t wish to switch to Payble, you can view alternative payment options below.

Changed your details or wish to receive your rates notices via email?

Paying your rates

How to pay

We’re introducing Payble, a convenient online payment platform that makes managing your rates simple.

1. Make a one-off payment
2. Autopay - Annual & Instalment due dates. Set up an automatic payment of your current and future notices in full on the due date.
3. Flexible Payments - Set up an ongoing direct debit to make weekly, fortnightly or monthly payments to have the balance paid by the end of the financial year being 30 June.

Online or via instalments	Pay via Payble Find out more about Payble and how to use it.
Phone	Call our Customer Service Centre on 03 6323 3000.
In Person	Present your rates notice to make a payment in our Customer Service Centre at Town Hall, 18-28 St John Street, Launceston. Office hours are Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 5.00pm.
Mail	Please allow sufficient time for delivery and to avoid any penalty for late payment. Cheques or money orders should be made payable to: City of Launceston PO Box 396 LAUNCESTON TAS 7250
AusPost	Payment can be made through Australia Post via one of the options below. Refer to the Billpay code and reference number listed on your rates notice. Present this notice at any Post Office, Call 13 18 16, or Visit auspost.com.au then quote the Billpay Code 0704 and the Reference.
Bpay	Make payment via Bpay using the Bpay code and reference number listed on your rates notice.

When to pay

1. Lump sum

Rates can be paid one lump sum. Should you opt to pay your rates in full then payment must be received by 31 August of the respective rating year to ensure you do not incur any late fees.

2. Quarterly Instalments

Rates can be paid in instalments. The dates listed are within the relevant financial year. Refer to your rates notice for specific instalment amounts.

Instalments	Due Date
1	31 August
2	30 November
3	31 January
4	30 April

3. Smaller Instalments

You can also pay smaller amounts on a more regular basis if this is more manageable for you. As long as the full instalment payment is received by the respective due dates for each instalment (listed above), you will not incur penalty and interest charges. Simply use the payment details on your notice as these will not change.

Note: Late Payments

If any instalment is not paid by the due date, a penalty of 3% of the amount unpaid will be applied and the outstanding amounts will attract interest at a rate of 7.5% p.a. Under Section 124 (5) of the Local Government Act 1993, if any instalment due is not paid within 21 days, the full amount for the year may become due and payable immediately.

See our Rates and Charges Policy or contact us for more information.

Payment assistance

Should you be experiencing financial hardship or difficulty in paying your rates please contact rates@launceston.tas.gov.au or phone 6323 3000 to discuss options for payment arrangements.

Our friendly Customer Service and Rates Teams are able to offer extended payment terms and options for smaller payments over longer periods of time which may better support your financial circumstances. Interest and penalty charges may still apply.

Your guide to rates

Council rates are payments made by property owners to their local council. These rates help fund essential services and infrastructure in your community.

Your rates help pay for things like:

Rubbish and recycling collection
Parks, playgrounds, and public spaces
Road maintenance and footpaths
Community services and facilities
Local planning and development

How rates are calculated

Rates are based on your property’s Assessed Annual Value (AAV) — an estimate of its yearly rental value, set by the Office of the Valuer-General. AAV must be at least 4% of the property’s capital value.

Your AAV amount is then multiplied by the relevant cent in the dollar rate. Refer 2026/27 Rates and Charges below.

The total amount Council needs to collect through rates is based on the cost of providing services, maintaining infrastructure, and facilities.

Your rates include:

General Rate (based on AAV)
General Charge (fixed charge)
Waste Management Charge (fixed charge)
Waste Levy Offset Service Charge (fixed charge)
State Fire Service Levy (based on AAV)

Property values (including land, capital, and AAV) are reviewed and adjusted every two years using indexation factors.

For more details on how property values are adjusted, visit Valuation Adjustment Factors.

Revaluation of Municipality

The Office of the Valuer-General completed a full revaluation of all properties in the City of Launceston, based on values as of 1 July 2023. These new values have been used to calculate rates from 1 July 2024.

Revaluations happen every six years, with value updates (indexing) every two years in between.

Important:
An increase in your property’s value does not mean your rates will automatically go up. What matters is how your property’s value has changed compared to others. The Council adjusts the “Cents in AAV” rate to make sure overall rate revenue doesn’t increase just because property values have.

If you want to query your valuation, please contact the Office of the Valuer-General:

Website: nre.tas.gov.au/land-tasmania/office-of-the-valuer-general
Email: ovg@nre.tas.gov.au
Phone: (03) 6165 4444

Residential Rate Cap (Transitional Arrangements)

To support residents during the transition to new property values, Council introduced a rate cap following the municipal revaluation.

If a residential property's general rate (based on the AAV) was set to increase significantly, Council limited the increase to a maximum of 20% per year.

This approach has helped ensure a fair and gradual adjustment, while maintaining the principle that properties with the same value and use category paid the same rate.

State Government Waste Levy (Offset)

A $34.70 service charge applies in 2026/27 to properties that receive waste management services.

This charge helps Council recover costs from a State Government Waste Levy, introduced in July 2022 to reduce landfill use.

Money collected through the levy is reinvested by the State Government into improving recycling, composting, and resource recovery across Tasmania.

For more information, visit https://nre.tas.gov.au/environment/waste-and-resource-recovery/landfill-levy

State Fire Service Rate

This rate is collected by Council on behalf of the State Government to help fund the State Fire Commission.

It’s based on the fire district your property falls under, which depends on the local fire brigade that would respond in case of a fire.

Council collects this levy and passes it on to the State Government to support fire services across Tasmania.

How to read your rates notice

2026/27 Rates and Charges

Rates and charges apply to each separately valued property, as listed in the official valuation roll prepared under the Valuation of Land Act 2001.

The City of Launceston applies variable rates under Section 107 of the Local Government Act 1993 by a differential rating system based on the main use of the property (e.g. residential, commercial, industrial). This use is determined by the Valuer-General, not by zoning under the Tasmanian Planning Scheme.

If a property has multiple uses, the primary use is used to set the rate.

Note: Valuation use codes are not the same as planning zones. They don’t confirm whether a property’s current use or development complies with planning rules.

For valuation details, visit the Office of the Valuer-General
For zoning and planning info, visit PlanBuild Tasmania
For past approvals or planning questions, contact City of Launceston Planning Services on (03) 6323 3220

GENERAL RATE
General	5.2759 cents in $ of AAV
Residential	5.2759 cents in $ of AAV
Commercial	7.1225 cents in $ of AAV
Industrial	7.1225 cents in $ of AAV
Primary Production	7.1225 cents in $ of AAV
Public Service	6.3311 cents in $ of AAV
Quarry and Mining	3.9569 cents in $ of AAV
Sport and Recreation	5.8035 cents in $ of AAV
Vacant (non-use)	6.2256 cents in $ of AAV
General Fixed Charge	$380.00

FIRE LEVY
Launceston Permanent Brigade Rating District	1.02863 cents in the $ of AAV within a minimum of $52
Lilydale Volunteer Brigade Rating District	0.26587 cents in the $ of AAV with a minimum of $52
General Land	0.25221 cents in the $ of AAV with a minimum of $52

WASTE MANAGEMENT SERVICE (KERBSIDE COLLECTION)
85 litre mobile garbage bin and 1 recycling bin	$190.00
140 litre mobile garbage bin and 1 recycling bin	$240.00
240 litre mobile garbage bin and 1 recycling bin	$400.00

STATE GOVT WASTE LEVY (OFFSET)	$34.70 per property
(applicable only to properties with a kerbside collection)
INSTALMENT DATES (4)	31/08/2026;
	30/11/2026;
	31/01/2027;
	30/04/2027
Penalty on unpaid rate or instalment	3.0%
Interest on unpaid rates	7.5% p.a. (daily interest charge 0.02054795%)

Rates concessions and remissions

The City of Launceston offers various forms of assistance for concession rates and charitable organisation rates.

Pensioner and concessional rates remissions for individuals

Eligible Concession Card holders may apply to receive a rates remission, more information below.

Eligibility Criteria:

The applicant must be liable for rates on the property.
The property must be the applicants principal place of residence.
In cases of joint ownership, at least one owner must meet the eligibility criteria.
Only one remission is allowed per financial year, per household.

Concession Card Requirements:

Pensioners who have not previously received a remission, including last financial year, must hold one of the following concession cards, dated on or before 1 July 2026.

Services Australia Pensioner Concession Card
Services Australia Health Care Card (Note: Commonwealth Seniors Health Card is not eligible)
Department of Veterans' Affairs 'Gold Card' endorsed with TPI or War Widow

Rates Remission Details

General rates remission of 30% capped at:

$401 for TasWater customers
$591 for non-TasWater customers

State Government Fire Service

20% of your contribution

Application Period

Applications can be submitted from 1 July 2026 until 31 March 2027.

Automatic Remission for Existing Pensioners

Pensioners who have previously applied and received a remission will see the concession automatically applied to their rates notice, provided eligibility is verified by the Department of Treasury and Finance.

How to Apply

Download the relevant application form and submit your application, including photo of your concession card to contactus@launceston.tas.gov.au
Or you can visit our Customer Service Centre to request, complete or submit your form in person.

Application Forms

Pensioner Rate Remission Application (2026/27)(PDF, 302KB)

Pensioner Rate Remission Application - Prior Year (2025/26)

Additional Information

Please note: The rebate provisions are detailed under the Local Government (Rates and Charges Remissions) Act 1991 (Tas) however eligibility for a pensioner remission is determined by the state government's Department of Treasury and Finance.

For more details on discounts and concessions, visit the Tasmanian Government Discounts and Concessions website.

Charitable organisation rates remissions

Some organisations may be eligible for an exemption or part remission of their rates if they meet certain eligibility criteria. To determine if your organisation is eligible, please review the Rating Exemptions and Remissions for Charitable Organisations Policy(PDF, 162KB).

If you believe you may be eligible, please email contactus@launceston.tas.gov.au detailing the reason for your request and why you consider you may be eligible. Please include your organisation Australian Business Number (ABN) and Australian Taxation Office (ATO) status noting the organisation details.