Rate payments are due to be made in full by the first quarter date or in quarterly instalments due:

1st Quarter - 8 September 2023

2nd Quarter - 1 December 2023

3rd Quarter - 1 March 2024

4th Quarter - 7 June 2024

Council will send out a notice of rates to ratepayers thirty days prior to each due date by post to the address shown in the assessment record, or to an electronic address nominated by the principal ratepayer.

If you would like to receive your rate notice electronically via email, you can provide your email address on the back of the latest rate notice and return to Council either by:

Email: plcc@plcc.sa.gov.au

By post:

City of Port Lincoln
PO Box 1787
PORT LINCOLN  SA  5606

In person:

Level One, Civic Centre, 60 Tasman Terrace,
PORT LINCOLN SA 5606

or email Council at aorates@plcc.sa.gov.au requesting that you would like to receive your rate notice electronically.

Yes, Council offers all ratepayers a 2% discount for early payment of rates if payment is made in full on or before the date of when the first quarter rates are due.

Please note the discount is not applicable to the Regional Landscape Levy, Waste or Recycling Service Charges.

Council provides the following services for the payment of your rates:

• Online - pay with your credit card via the Council website at www.portlincoln.sa.gov.au/makeapayment

• BPAY - The City of Port Lincoln Biller code is 9639 and reference number can be found on your rate notice.  Contact your bank or financial institution to make payment from your cheque, savings, debit, credit card or transaction account

• By Post - provide remittance advice with cheque and post to City of Port Lincoln, PO Box 1787, Port Lincoln SA 5606

• In person - come into the Council Administration Office at Level One, Civic Centre, 60 Tasman Terrace, Port Lincoln (cheque, cash, EFTPOS accepted)

If your name or address has changed following marriage, deed poll or there has been a change in land ownership you will need to contact Land Services SA to arrange to have your details updated on your Certificate of Title.

Land Services SA

Website: www.landservices.com.au

Phone: 8423 5000 (country callers 1800 648 176)

Email: customersupport@landservices.com.au

Once you have notified Land Services SA they will then let us know of the updated details.

Council is unable to update these details on your rate notice.

If you’re mailing address has recently changed and is different to the address shown on your Rate Notice you will need to notify Council of the new address as soon as possible.

Notification can be made by submitting a Change of Details form using the online form or you can complete the PDF version and forward to Council.

Change of Details Online Form 7-69-T4

Change of Details Form 7-69-T4 [PDF]

The PDF form can be forwarded to Council either by:

Email: plcc@plcc.sa.gov.au

Post to:

City of Port Lincoln
PO Box 1787
PORT LINCOLN  SA  5606

In person:

Level One, Civic Centre, 60 Tasman Terrace
PORT LINCOLN SA 5606

Council will also accept an email or letter from the Managing Agent signed by the property owner on behalf of the property owner to change the postal address.

Changes cannot be made over the telephone.

If you are behind in payment of your rates you can enter into a payment plan with Council to gradually pay off your outstanding rates debt.  To enter into a payment plan complete and return the Rates Arrears Payment Plan Agreement 7-69-T2 [PDF] to Council.

Email: plcc@plcc.sa.gov.au

Post to:

City of Port Lincoln
PO Box 1787
PORT LINCOLN SA 5606

In person:

Level One, Civic Centre,
60 Tasman Terrace, Port Lincoln SA 5606

You can agree to pay off the outstanding debt with regular weekly, fortnightly or monthly payments until the debt is cleared.

On entering into an agreement with Council monthly fines and interest will continue to apply to any outstanding amounts until paid.

Failure to abide by the agreement may result in legal action and all costs associated with any legal action will become part of your rates liability and shall be your responsibility.

If the current rates fall in arrears the Council reserves the right to demand immediate payment of the outstanding amount in full.

Council has the right to impose a 2% penalty on any late payment of rates pursuant to Section 181(8) of the Local Government Act 1999.  A payment that continues to be outstanding is then charged at the prescribed interest rate, set each year according to a formula in the Act, for each month payment continues to be late.

The 2% penalty allows Council to recover administrative costs of following up unpaid rates and to cover any interest cost the Council may occur because it has not received the rates on time.

Council will send out a Notice of Overdue Rates after the instalment is due and remains unpaid, showing the amount outstanding including any fines and interest levied.

Rates, which continue to be overdue, will be referred to a collection agency for collection.  The debt collection agency will charge collection fees which are recoverable from the ratepayer.

When Council receives a payment in respect of overdue rates the Council applies the money as follows:

(a) Firstly - in payment of any costs awarded to, or recoverable by, the council in any court proceedings undertaken by the council for the recovery of the rates;

(b) Secondly - in satisfaction of any liability for interest;

(c) Thirdly - in payment of any fine;

(d) Fourthly - in satisfaction of liabilities for rates in the order in which those liabilities arose.

Individuals and businesses can apply to have their rates postponed and/or enter into an agreed payment plan if they meet the hardship criteria outlined in Council's Financial Hardship Policy 7.63.17 [PDF].  This will be upon application and assessed on a case by case basis.

Applicants who wish to enter into an agreed payment plan or have their rates postponed will need to complete the Rates Payment Arrangement / Hardship Application Form [PDF].

If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact Council on 8621 2300.

Section 184 of the Local Government Act 1999 allows Council to sell land where the ratepayer has been in arrears of their rates for three years or more.

Council will send a notice to the principal ratepayer at the address appearing in the assessment record:

• stating the period for which the rates have been in arrears; and
• stating the amount of the total liability for rates presently outstanding in relation to the land; and
• stating that if that amount is not paid in full within one month of service of the notice (or such longer time as the council may allow) the council intends to sell the land for non-payment of rates.

Council will also send a copy of the notice to any owner of the land and to any registered mortgagee of the land.

If the outstanding amount is not paid in full within the agreed time, Council may proceed to sell the land by public auction.  If before the date of the auction the outstanding amount and the costs incurred by the Council are paid, the auction will be called off.  If however, payment is not made and if the auction fails Council may sell the land by private contract for the best price.

The full sale process is undertaken according to Section 184 of the Local Government Act 1999.

All land within the area of Council is rateable, however there are some exclusions as stated in section 147 of the Local Government Act 1999.

The Local Government Act provides for a Council to raise revenue for the broad purposes of the Council through a general rate, which applies to all rateable properties, or through differential general rates, which apply to classes of properties. The Council also raises revenue through fees and charges.

The Council adopted at its Special Council meeting held 26 June 2023:

• Site Valuations of the Valuer-General for rating purposes totalling $1,210,833,600.

• Differential general rates:
• 0.008911 cents in the dollar on all other rateable land in the area
• Imposed a fixed charge of $485 on each separate piece of rateable land excluding Marina Berths

• City of Port Lincoln Waste Service Charge $296.30 and Recycling Annual Service Charge $60.15.

• Councils are required to collect the Regional Landscape Levy under the Landscape South Australia Act 2019, which differentiates according to land use:
• $87.10 fixed charge per assessment for Residential, Other and Vacant Land
• $130.65 fixed charge per assessment for Commercial and Industrial Land
• $174.20 fixed charge per assessment for Primary Producers

The Landscape South Australia Act 2019 is the key framework for managing the state’s land, water, pest plants and animals, and biodiversity across the state.

Council collects a levy known as a regional landscape levy on behalf of the Eyre Peninsula Landscape Board to raise funds by way of a fixed charge levy to assist in funding the operations of the landscape board.

The fixed charge is imposed as a separate rate upon all properties and is shown as a separate item on the Rate Notice.

Council does not retain the levy funds or determines how the revenue is spent, nor does it determine the amount of the levy to be collected.  This levy is forwarded onto the Eyre Peninsula Landscape Board on a quarterly basis.

Any queries regarding the regional landscape levy should be directed to the Eyre Peninsula Landscape Board on 8688 3111 or website www.landscape.sa.gov.au/ep.

For more information about the Landscape South Australia Act and the regional landscape boards visit www.landscape.sa.gov.au.

Council currently uses site value as the basis for calculating rates within the Council area.  However, the State Government has made changes to the Local Government Act 1999 which is the legislation that specifies the manner in which a council raise property rates.

Site Valuation will continue to be used for rating purposes for the 2023/2024 financial year, with the transition to Capital Valuation to occur for the 2024/2025 financial year rating calculations.

The land valuation is set by the Valuer-General.  If you are dissatisfied with a valuation made you must provide in writing to the Officer of the Valuer-General the full and detailed grounds on which the objection is based.

The objection must be made within 60 days of receiving the first rate notice of the valuation to which the objection relates, unless the Valuer-General allows an extension of time based on reasonable cause to do so by a person entitled to make an objection to a valuation.

Objections can be made online, via email, posted or delivered to:

Online: www.sa.gov.au/topics/housing/owning-a-property/objecting-to-a-property-valuation.

Email: OVGObjections@sa.gov.au

By post:

Officer of the Valuer-General
GPO Box 1354
ADELAIDE  SA  5001

In person:

Office of the Valuer-General
Ground Floor, 101 Grenfell Street, 
ADELAIDE SA 5000

Please note:

• If you have previously received a notice or notices under the Local Government Act 1999 referring to the valuation and informing you of a 60 day objection period, the objection period is 60 days after service of the first such notice;

• You may not object to the valuation if the Valuer-General has already considered an objection by you to that valuation for the current financial year.

Differential rates (and or charges) imposed by rates (and or charges) associated with the valuation are still due and payable by the due date even in an objection has been lodged.

If the valuer thinks that the valuation should be altered, the valuation will be altered in accordance with his/or her opinion.  The Valuer-General will then notify you in writing of their decision.  Council will also be notified of any changes.

If you are still dissatisfied with the valuation, you can ask for a further review. Please refer to the Objecting to a property valuation webpage provided on the Government of South Australia website www.sa.gov.au on how to request a review.

If you require further information or clarification about making an objection you can contact the Officer of the Valuer-General by:

Phone: 1300 653 346; or

Email: OVGObjections@sa.gov.au

The separate rate declared by the Council is based on various Land Use Categories.

If you believe that the Land Use Category applied to your property is incorrect, you may lodge a written objection with Council detailing the grounds on which the objection is based.

The objection must be made to Council within 60 days after the date of service of the notice.  The Council may, in its discretion, allow an extension of time based on reasonable cause to do so by a person entitled to make an objection to land use.

Objections can be made by:

Email: plcc@plcc.sa.gov.au

By post:

City of Port Lincoln
PO Box 1787
PORT LINCOLN SA 5606

In person:

Level One, Civic Centre, 60 Tasman Terrace
PORT LINCOLN SA 5606

Rates are still due and payable by the due date even if an objection has been lodged.

If you are dissatisfied with Council’s decision on an objection, you may, seek a review of the decision under section 34 of the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2013 within 21 days after you have received the notice of Council’s decision (unless SATAC, in its discretion, allows an extension of time for making the application).

If you own and occupy two or more pieces of contiguous rateable land, only one fixed charge may be imposed against the whole of that land pursuant to Section 152 of the Local Government Act 1999.

If you own two or more pieces of rateable land within the council area that constitutes a single farm enterprise, then you can apply to have one fixed charge imposed against the whole of the land.

If circumstances change or cease to exist, the person who has the benefit of the provision must inform the Council.

To request for one fixed charge to be applied to your property you will need to complete the following form.

Adjoining Property Application Online Form 7-69-T29

Adjoining Property Application Form 7-69-T29 [PDF]

The PDF form can be forwarded to Council either by:

Email: plcc@plcc.sa.gov.au

Post to:

City of Port Lincoln
PO Box 1787
PORT LINCOLN SA 5606

In person:

Level One, Civic Centre, 60 Tasman Terrace
PORT LINCOLN SA 5606

Should at any time the ownership or occupation of the properties change, you will need to notify Council immediately, resulting in the fixed charge being reinstated and charged accordingly.

A person or body may apply to the Council for a rebate of rates on eligible land.

Section 160 to 166 of the Local Government Act 1999 makes specific provisions for land used for health services, community services, religious purposes, public cemeteries, Royal Zoological Society of SA and educational purposes.

Council has also determined that it is desirable to grant a rebate of rates or service charges for the purpose of encouraging and securing appropriate quality development in the City relating to:

• New Development in excess of $1,000,000 (not including land); and
• Land Division and Strata/Community Title Developments.

Please refer to our Rates Concession Scheme for Developments Policy 7.63.8 [PDF] for more information.

To apply for a rebate of rates you are required to complete the following form and provide all the supporting information requested in the application form.

Rate Rebate Application Online Form 7-69-T31

Rate Rebate Application Form 7-69-T31 [PDF]

The PDF form can be forwarded to Council either by:

Email: aorates@plcc.sa.gov.au

By post:

Rates Officer
City of Port Lincoln
PO Box 1787
PORT LINCOLN SA 5606

In person:

Level One, Civic Centre, 60 Tasman Terrace
PORT LINCOLN SA 5606

If the grounds on which the rebate has been granted cease to exist, the person or body must notify Council of the fact and that the entitlement to a rebate ceases.

Where an entitlement to a rebate of rates ceases or no longer applies during the course of a financial year, the Council is entitled to recover rates, or rates at the increased level (as the case may be), proportionate to the remaining part of the financial year.

If you have any questions or require further information on the rebate of rates, please phone the Council Office on 8621 2300 or email our Senior Rates Officer at aorates@plcc.sa.gov.au.

The Cost of Living Concession is available to assist those on low or fixed incomes with the cost of living expenses such as council rates, energy and medical bills.

You can apply to Concessions SA at any time, however applications must be submitted by 31 December to receive the concession for that financial year.  

To check your eligibility and to apply visit www.sa.gov.au/concessions.

For more information:

• Contact the Concessions SA Hotline on 1800 307 758 (9am to 5pm Monday to Friday)
• Email: concessions@sa.gov.au
• Visit: www.sa.gov.au/concessions/costofliving.

A text telephone service (TTS) is available for the hearing or speech impaired by contacting TTY (08) 8226 6789.

To find out more on what Concessions, Benefits and Grants are available to you visit www.sa.gov.au/topics/care-and-support/concessions