Rates - FAQs

If you have a question about your rates within the City of Stirling, please review the frequently asked questions and the responses below.

What internet browser should I use to complete a Direct Debit application?

Internet Explorer is no longer a supported browser, the City suggests using another browser such as Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Firefox or Safari.

Can I set up a Direct Debit payment from my Credit Card?

The City cannot accept credit cards for Direct Debit payments. To pay your rates with your credit card please select pay your rates online. 

When do rates smoothing payments get debited from my account?

Weekly rates smoothing dates

WeekPayment dateWeekPayment dateWeekPayment date

Week 1

Friday 25 August 2023Week 16

Friday 8 December 2023

Week 31

Friday 22 March 2024

Week 2Friday 1 September 2023Week 17

Friday 15 December 2023

Week 32

Friday 2 April 2024

Week 3Friday 8 September 2023Week 18

Friday 22 December 2023

Week 33

Tuesday 5 April 2024

Week 4Friday 15 September 2023Week 19

Tuesday 2 January 2024

Week 34Friday 12 April 2024
Week 5Friday 22 September 2023Week 20

Friday 5 January 2024

Week 35

Friday 19 April 2024

Week 6Friday 28 September 2023Week 21

Friday 12 January 2024

Week 36

Friday 26 April 2024

Week 7Friday 6 October 2023Week 22

Friday 19 January 2024

Week 37

Friday 3 May 2024

Week 8 

Friday 13 October 2023

Week 23

Friday 29 January 2024

Week 38

Friday 10 May 2024

Week 9

Friday 20 October 2023

Week 24

Friday 2 February 2024

Week 39

Friday 17 May 2024

Week 10

Friday 27 October 2023

Week 25

Friday 9 February 2024

Week 40

Friday 24 May 2024

Week 11Friday 3 November 2023Week 26Friday 16 February 2024Week 41Friday 31 May 2024
Week 12Friday 10 November 2023Week 27Friday 23 February 2024Week 42Friday 7 June 2024
Week 13Friday 17 November 2023Week 28Friday 1 March 2024
Week 14Friday 24 November 2023Week 29Friday 8 March 2024
Week 15

Friday 1 December 2023

Week 30

Friday 15 March 2024

Fortnightly rates smoothing dates

Fortnightly Payment dateFortnightlyPayment dateFortnightlyPayment date
Fortnight 1

Friday 25 August 2023

Fortnight 8

Friday 1 December 2023

Fortnight 15

Friday 8 March 2024

Fortnight 2

Friday 8 September 2023

Fortnight 9

Friday 15 December 2023

Fortnight 16

Friday 22 March 2024

Fortnight 3

Friday 22 September 2023

Fortnight 10

Tuesday 2 January 2024

Fortnight 17

Friday 05 April 2024

Fortnight 4

Friday 6 October 2023

Fortnight 11

Friday 12 January 2024

Fortnight 18

Friday 19 April 2024

Fortnight 5

Friday 20 October 2023

Fortnight 12

Monday 29 January 2024

Fortnight 19

Friday 3 May 2024

Fortnight 6

Friday 3 November 2023

Fortnight 13

Friday 9 February 2024

Fortnight 20

Friday 17 May 2024

Fortnight 7    

Friday 17 November 2023

Fortnight 14

Friday 23 February 2024

Fortnight 21

Friday 31 May 2024

Monthly rates smoothing dates

Monthly Payment dateMonthlyPayment dateMonthlyPayment date
Month 1

Friday 25 August 2023

Month 5

Tuesday 2 January 2024

Month 8

Monday 25 March 2024

Month 2

Tuesday 25 September 2023

Month 6

Thursday 25 January 2024

Month 9

Monday 29 April  2024

Month 3

Wednesday 25 October 2023

Month 7

Monday 26 February 2024

Month 10

Monday 27 May 2024

Month 4

Monday 27 November 2023

*Rates smoothing continues each year until you contact us in writing advising that you wish to cancel

**Weekly & Fortnightly payments are always drawn on a Friday. If the Friday is a public holiday the Direct Debit will be extracted the next day

***The City of Stirling’s rates smoothing arrangement for this year runs from 25 August 2023 to 7 June 2024.

What are the terms and conditions of paying rates via Direct Debit?

City of Stirling Rates Direct Debit Instalment Option Service Agreement Terms and Conditions (section 6.49 of the Local Government Act 1995) Definitions

  • City means the City of Stirling of PO Box 1533, Osborne Park, Western Australia, 6916
  • Current rate year means the Rate Year when this agreement is executed
  • Direct Debit Authority means the authority attached to this agreement authorising the payment to the City pursuant to this agreement
  • Future rate year means all Rate Years after the Current Rate Year
  • Direct Debit Amount means the amount specified to be paid by the Ratepayer in the Direct Debit Authority
  • Property means the property described in this agreement
  • Rate Notice means the rate notice issued by the City to the Ratepayer for the Property for a particular rate year
  • Rate Year means the period commencing 1 July in a year and expiring 30 June in the following year (a financial year) 
  • Ratepayer means the person named as the Ratepayer in this agreement
  • Ratepayers Bank Account means the account with a financial institution nominated by the Ratepayer in the Direct Debit Authority
  • Rates and service charges means the total amount due in line with a rates notice, including local government rates, the emergency services levy, charges for waste services and security patrol, swimming pool inspection fees, penalty interest, instalment fees, legal fees and direct debit administration fees.

1. What am I agreeing to pay

  • The Ratepayer agrees to pay:
    • The rates and service charges
    • Late payment interest as per Section 6.51(1) of the Local Government Act 1995 and Regulation 70 of the Local Government (Financial Management) Regulations 1996 which will accrue over the payment period
    • Any costs incurred by the City as a result of the Ratepayer failing to perform any obligations under this agreement
    • Any charges imposed by the City’s bank in relation to the Direct Debit Authority
    • Any charges imposed by the Ratepayer’s financial institution in relation to the Direct Debit Authority
    • Administration charge for the set-up of the agreement as notified in the adopted budget fees and charges schedule
    • Future rate years.

2. Amendments by the City

The City will notify the ratepayer in writing by giving at least fourteen (14) days’ written notice, of any increased variations to the direct debit amount during a rate year to cover any of the following:

  • Increase in the rates and service charges
  • Change in the rates of interest charged by the City
  • Additional interest, costs or charges payable by the ratepayer to the City.

If there is a reduction to the amounts in the ratepayer’s direct debt plan, the City will notify the ratepayer in writing.

3. How do I pay the rates

The ratepayer can elect to pay their rates and service charges in full, in instalments or by rates smoothing. The amount of each payment option is outlined on the rates notice.

The direct debit agreement authorises a payment in full, or in two or four instalments, or on a rates smoothing basis, as elected by the ratepayer. The direct debit arrangement is a legal agreement between the City and the ratepayer.

The ratepayer must check with their financial institution that direct debit is available from their nominated bank account. Direct debit is not available on all bank accounts offered by financial institutions.

The ratepayer must make sure that the bank account details, including the BSB and account numbers which are provided to the City, are correct. If in doubt, the ratepayer must confirm the details with their financial institution.

The ratepayer must ensure that there are sufficient cleared funds available in their account to allow each direct debit payment to be made on the due date.

Should there be insufficient cleared funds in the ratepayer’s account to meet a particular direct debit payment, the ratepayer must arrange for the due payment to be made by another payment method within seven (7) days.

Dishonoured payments incur a fee of $2.75 per transaction. This fee will be added to the ratepayer’s account.

The ratepayer agrees that they are the property owner (or joint owner) or person responsible for paying the nominated rate notice, and that all the other joint owners agree to payment by direct debit.

4. Can I change my direct debit ?

The Ratepayer can make changes to their direct debit arrangement by notifying the City in writing to:

  • make any change(s) to their nominated bank account,
  • make amendments to the frequency of direct debit payments
  • stop or defer a direct debit payment
  • or terminate this agreement with at least five (5) business days before the next due debit.

The Ratepayer must complete an online enquiry here or e-mail ratesdd@stirling.wa.gov.au

A change is only permitted if the proposed change still results in the rates and all other payments due under this agreement being paid in full by the last payment date.

5. What happens if I am unable to make a payment

If the ratepayer is unable to make a payment in line with this agreement, they must contact the City’s Rates Team at least five (5) business days before the payment is due to change the payment arrangement.

If no alternate payment arrangement has been made with the City and one of the following scenarios applies, then the City may request in writing immediate payment of the balance of the rates and service charges, and all other fees and interest due under this agreement:

  • the ratepayer fails to pay any amount payable under this agreement when it falls due, and does not make that payment within seven (7) days after the due date
  • the ratepayer cancels or changes the direct debit authority without written agreement with the City
  • the ratepayer’s direct debits fail on a total of four (4) occasions during the rate year for any reason.

If the City delays in enforcing this agreement or gives the ratepayer additional time to pay, that delay and extension of time is not a waiver of the City’s rights to enforce any provision of this agreement.

6. Declined transactions 

For declined transactions, the following will apply:

  • In the event of four (4) declined payments, the City will cancel the agreement. If the account is not paid in full, or another payment arrangement entered into, the City may commence normal debt collection procedures.
  • The City and the ratepayer are unable to enter into a new direct debit payment plan for this current rate (financial) year once a direct debit plan has been cancelled due to four (4) declined transactions.

7. What happens if there is a mistake with the direct debit or a dispute?

The ratepayer should check their account statement on a regular basis to verify the amounts debited from their account are correct.

If the ratepayer believes that there has been an error in debiting their account, they should notify the City immediately by calling (08) 9205 8555 and provide notice in writing to the City as soon as possible so that the City can resolve the query promptly. Alternatively, the ratepayer can contact their financial institution.

If, following an investigation, the City concludes that the ratepayer’s account has been incorrectly debited, the City will credit the overpayment against the next payment due, and direct the ratepayer’s financial institution to adjust the next payment accordingly. The City will also notify the ratepayer in writing of the outcome.

If a ratepayer has been charged a lesser amount, the ratepayer must arrange for the due payment to be made by another payment method. The City will notify the ratepayer in writing of this instruction.

If the City concludes, as a result of investigations, that the account has not been incorrectly debited, the City will provide an explanation in writing, along with any evidence for this finding.

8. Privacy of information 

The City takes all reasonable steps to keep information about ratepayers secure, and to ensure that employees or agents of the City who have access to the information do not make any unauthorised use, modification, reproduction or disclosure of that information.

The City will keep any information (including the ratepayer’s bank account details) in the direct debit authority confidential and will only disclose information held about the ratepayer to the extent specifically required by law for the purposes of this agreement (including disclosing information in connection with any query or claim).

9. How do I contact the City?

To contact the City in relation to the direct debit agreement, the ratepayer can contact the City in the following ways:

10. How do I request payment of rates under this agreement?

To request payments pursuant to this agreement, the ratepayer must complete the direct debit request form on the City's website.

Applications for direct debit must be completed and submitted to the City at no later than 13 August 2023, in order for the first payment to commence on 25 August 2023.

An application must be completed for each rate assessment separately.

Upon receiving the direct debit authority, the City will confirm acceptance of the agreement by executing the agreement and notifying the ratepayer in writing via email.

  • arrange for a payment to be made by another method for the declined direct debit(s) as per the agreement to pay in full by the last payment date
  • check their account statement to verify that the amounts debited from their account are correct.

In the event of four (4) declined direct debit payments in one rate year, the City will cancel the direct debit arrangement and commence normal debt recovery action.

11. Notice

The Ratepayer must notify the City in writing relating to this agreement:

Email ratesdd@stirling.wa.gov.au by post to City of Stirling, PO Box 1533, Osborne Park, Western Australia 6916 or complete a customer enquiry and feedback form here.

The City will notify the Ratepayer in writing by sending a notice via email or post to the address you have given us in the direct debit application

Any notice will be deemed to have been received on the third banking day after issue

12. General Information 

Please direct all rates enquiries to the City of Stirling, rather than to your financial institution.

All rate-related communication addressed to the City should include the rates assessment number.

The City of Stirling accepts no responsibility for correspondence not being received, being received late due to postal delays, or for being illegible.

Can I make a special payment arrangement with the City?

If you are unable to pay your rates instalments due to financial hardship, you can apply for a payment arrangement.

Please note: The special administration fee of $30.00 and 5% penalty interest will be accrued daily on the balance of the overdue account until it is fully paid.

Please also note: Pensioners are not charged any administration fee when setting up a payment arrangement.

What should I do if my contact details change?

Please let us know promptly, in writing, of any changes to your contact details. Property owners must make sure that the City has the correct address and contact details for the service of notices.

What should I do if I sell my property?

Under the provisions of the Local Government Act, when a person sells or disposes of land, the owner/agent must advise the City in writing, within 21 days of the change in ownership, giving full details of the purchaser.

Can I appeal my property's valuation?

If you feel that the valuation applied to your property is incorrect, you can lodge an objection with Landgate's Valuer General's Office, within 60 days of the issue of your rates notice. For more information, please contact the Valuer General's Office on (08) 9273 7373 or visit Landgate's website here.

Section 6.81of the Local Government act 1995 refers that rates assessments are required to be paid by the due date, irrespective of whether an objection or appeal has been lodged. In the event of a successful objection or appeal, the rates will be adjusted, and you will be advised accordingly. Credit balance may be refunded on request.

Do I pay GST on my rates assessment?

GST is not payable on your rates assessment.

What is the Emergency Services Levy?

All property owners in Western Australia contribute to the fire and emergency services through the Emergency Services Levy (ESL).

Local Governments collect the levy on behalf of the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES). All funds collected are forwarded directly to DFES, who then redistribute the money to emergency services throughout the State.

What is a pool inspection fee?

State Government legislation requires that all private swimming pool enclosures must be inspected at least every 4 years.

Did you know?

The Emergency Services Levy (ESL) funds Western Australia's (WA) fire and emergency services, including career fire stations, volunteer fire brigades, State Emergency Service (SES) units, the Volunteer Marine Rescue Service and the multi-purpose Volunteer Emergency Service units. For more information about the ESL, visit the DFES website.