Revenue & Rating Plan 2025-29
Published on 28 May 2025
Following extensive community engagement and feedback, Rural City of Wangaratta announces updates to its Revenue & Rating Plan aimed at enhancing fairness and good governance across the municipality. The Plan was endorsed at last night’s Council meeting.
Between December 2024 and January 2025, 138 community members actively participated in our engagement efforts, providing valuable insights that have shaped our new plan. In accordance with the Local Government Act 2020 the focus has shifted to engaging with the community during the development of the plan, in place of the previous requirement of 28 days of public exhibition once it had been drafted.
This Revenue & Rating Plan 2025-29 simplifies the rating structure to ensure more equitable treatment of landowners based on land use, value, and the benefits received from Council services.
Factors that that determine individual rates are - property value, annual valuations, the State Government assigned rate cap, currently at 3% for the 2025/26 year, and the new Emergency Services Volunteer Fund (ESVF).
Many of these changes have been made to support rural property owners, particularly of large properties. By reducing the differentials and simplification of definitions. Council has also been mindful of the current cost of living pressures when setting these new rates. Despite these efforts, the State Government’s ESVF levy is expected to impose an additional $3M cost on our community.
Council is concerned about the extra resource burden the ESVF tax will place on the organisation. Many landowners have said they won’t pay the tax; however, the tax will be collected from Councils by the State Revenue Office, regardless of the monies received.
There have been active and passive protests against the tax across the municipality. Council has raised its concerns with the Treasurer, Regional Cities Victoria, and the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV), and has also supported a petition presented in Parliament by State MP Tim McCurdy.
Key Changes
- A rate cap of 3% for 2025/2026.
- Simplifying definitions of Rural Residential, Rural 1, and Rural 2 differential rates to Rural <20ha and Rural >20ha categories.
- Consolidating Commercial and Industrial land into a single category to streamline administrative processes.
- Combining the three Vacant land types (excluding General Vacant land which has been vacant for more than three years) into one category.
- Temporarily removing the Mixed-Use land category until a better identification process can be implemented.
- Increasing the Commercial and Industrial differential rates from 138% to 145% of the General Rate.
- Differential rates adjustments include setting Rural <20ha and Rural >20ha rates at 80% and 60% of the General Rate, respectively. Replacing the previous Rural Residential (100%), Rural 1 (70%), and Rural 2 (65%) differentials.
- To further align with legislative requirements under the Local Government Act 1989 the General Vacant land rate for properties vacant for more than three years will be reduced by 20% to 240%.
Irene Grant, Mayor Rural City of Wangaratta:
"The changes to our Revenue & Rating Plan reflect Council’s commitment to fairness, transparency, and effective governance.”
“We will continue to call on the State Government to rescind the ESVF, a measure that unfairly burdens our community—already grappling with rising cost-of-living pressures. This levy offers no clear benefit to those who are being asked to pay it, and we believe our residents deserve better.”
Rural City of Wangaratta offers a financial hardship program for individuals having trouble paying their rates. Please contact Customer Service on 03 5722 0875 for more details.
Additional Information
https://www.wangaratta.vic.gov.au/Community/Rates/Emergency-Services-and-Volunteers-Fund