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Council rates are local-government charges, but the rules differ across Australia. This page focuses on NSW: compare 127 NSW councils and use the dataset average of about $1082.92 a year for ordinary residential rates as a benchmark, then check the land value and charges on your own notice.
In this NSW dataset, the average ordinary residential council rate is $1082.92 a year, with councils ranging from $183.10 in Brewarrina to $2184.63 in Hunters Hill. Treat those figures as comparison points, not promises about your bill. Your notice can move because of council charges, rate-peg or variation settings, rating category, and the land value assigned to your property.
Two similar homes can receive different bills if they sit in different LGAs with different rate settings and fixed charges.
NSW ordinary rates are generally tied to unimproved land value, not your renovation spend or the replacement cost of the house.
Separate a general council increase from a land-value problem before deciding whether an objection is worth lodging.
Start with the Valuer General land value on your Notice of Valuation. This is usually unimproved land value.
Council applies its rate in the dollar or minimum rate rules for your rating category.
Waste, stormwater, annual charges, and other line items can lift the final notice.
If the land value looks too high against similar properties, that is the number to investigate.
If your rates notice jumped, separate council-wide charges from your Valuer General land value first. RatesAppeal helps you check whether the land value behind your NSW council rates notice looks out of line before you spend time on an objection.
Check your property| Rank | Council | Type | Average Rate | vs NSW Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Hunters Hill | Metro | $2184.63 | +101.7% |
| #2 | Wollondilly | Metro | $1922.14 | +77.5% |
| #3 | Blue Mountains | Metro | $1917.03 | +77.0% |
| #4 | Wingecarribee | Regional | $1913.10 | +76.7% |
| #5 | Cobar | Regional | $1896.89 | +75.2% |
| #6 | Maitland | Regional | $1783.18 | +64.7% |
| #7 | Kiama | Regional | $1731.23 | +59.9% |
| #8 | Newcastle | Regional | $1641.01 | +51.5% |
| #9 | Shellharbour | Regional | $1628.92 | +50.4% |
| #10 | Wollongong | Regional | $1601.17 | +47.9% |
| #11 | Tweed | Regional | $1572.65 | +45.2% |
| #12 | Northern Beaches | Metro | $1559.71 | +44.0% |
| #13 | Mosman | Metro | $1553.11 | +43.4% |
| #14 | Lake Macquarie | Regional | $1552.90 | +43.4% |
| #15 | Orange | Regional | $1538.91 | +42.1% |
| #16 | Burwood | Metro | $1534.50 | +41.7% |
| #17 | Hawkesbury | Metro | $1532.91 | +41.6% |
| #18 | Ku-ring-gai | Metro | $1502.87 | +38.8% |
| #19 | Randwick | Metro | $1495.69 | +38.1% |
| #20 | Woollahra | Metro | $1492.30 | +37.8% |
| #21 | Penrith | Metro | $1485.29 | +37.2% |
| #22 | Albury | Regional | $1443.74 | +33.3% |
| #23 | Sutherland | Metro | $1438.68 | +32.9% |
| #24 | Byron | Regional | $1438.32 | +32.8% |
| #25 | Dungog | Regional | $1434.64 | +32.5% |
| #26 | Mid-Coast | Regional | $1426.62 | +31.7% |
| #27 | Bland | Regional | $1397.06 | +29.0% |
| #28 | Camden | Metro | $1384.09 | +27.8% |
| #29 | Shoalhaven | Regional | $1375.45 | +27.0% |
| #30 | Bellingen | Regional | $1370.92 | +26.6% |
| #31 | Lismore | Regional | $1353.50 | +25.0% |
| #32 | Coffs Harbour | Regional | $1325.67 | +22.4% |
| #33 | Campbelltown | Metro | $1324.65 | +22.3% |
| #34 | Cessnock | Regional | $1295.62 | +19.6% |
| #35 | Central Coast | Regional | $1289.54 | +19.1% |
| #36 | Blayney | Regional | $1286.05 | +18.8% |
| #37 | Kempsey | Regional | $1284.86 | +18.6% |
| #38 | Hornsby | Metro | $1277.70 | +18.0% |
| #39 | Lane Cove | Metro | $1272.91 | +17.5% |
| #40 | Clarence Valley | Regional | $1260.64 | +16.4% |
| #41 | Port Macquarie-Hastings | Regional | $1252.19 | +15.6% |
| #42 | Queanbeyan-Palerang | Regional | $1248.80 | +15.3% |
| #43 | Inner West | Metro | $1237.62 | +14.3% |
| #44 | Georges River | Metro | $1234.62 | +14.0% |
| #45 | Liverpool | Metro | $1221.86 | +12.8% |
| #46 | Canterbury-Bankstown | Metro | $1209.22 | +11.7% |
| #47 | Bathurst Regional | Regional | $1204.99 | +11.3% |
| #48 | Richmond Valley | Regional | $1182.85 | +9.2% |
| #49 | Waverley | Metro | $1178.21 | +8.8% |
| #50 | Singleton | Regional | $1177.29 | +8.7% |
| #51 | Bega Valley | Regional | $1174.02 | +8.4% |
| #52 | Ballina | Regional | $1163.55 | +7.4% |
| #53 | Yass Valley | Regional | $1157.41 | +6.9% |
| #54 | Wagga Wagga | Regional | $1156.04 | +6.8% |
| #55 | Moree Plains | Regional | $1152.66 | +6.4% |
| #56 | Kyogle | Regional | $1150.47 | +6.2% |
| #57 | Bayside | Metro | $1144.95 | +5.7% |
| #58 | Tamworth Regional | Regional | $1141.86 | +5.4% |
| #59 | Port Stephens | Regional | $1138.33 | +5.1% |
| #60 | Ryde | Metro | $1138.01 | +5.1% |
| #61 | Eurobodalla | Regional | $1131.78 | +4.5% |
| #62 | Dubbo Regional | Regional | $1126.12 | +4.0% |
| #63 | Nambucca Valley | Regional | $1107.51 | +2.3% |
| #64 | The Hills | Metro | $1103.73 | +1.9% |
| #65 | Broken Hill | Regional | $1099.30 | +1.5% |
| #66 | Griffith | Regional | $1095.23 | +1.1% |
| #67 | Armidale Regional | Regional | $1088.86 | +0.5% |
| #68 | Goulburn-Mulwaree | Regional | $1086.72 | +0.4% |
| #69 | Inverell | Regional | $1080.85 | -0.2% |
| #70 | Blacktown | Metro | $1071.50 | -1.1% |
| #71 | Willoughby | Metro | $1068.80 | -1.3% |
| #72 | Edward River | Regional | $1064.82 | -1.7% |
| #73 | Narrabri | Regional | $1056.74 | -2.4% |
| #74 | Parkes | Regional | $1055.28 | -2.6% |
| #75 | Leeton | Regional | $1038.19 | -4.1% |
| #76 | Parramatta | Metro | $1013.62 | -6.4% |
| #77 | Canada Bay | Metro | $1010.46 | -6.7% |
| #78 | Mid-Western Regional | Regional | $997.46 | -7.9% |
| #79 | Gunnedah | Regional | $995.20 | -8.1% |
| #80 | North Sydney | Metro | $982.11 | -9.3% |
| #81 | Cumberland | Metro | $981.97 | -9.3% |
| #82 | Oberon | Regional | $978.29 | -9.7% |
| #83 | Snowy Monaro Regional | Regional | $970.70 | -10.4% |
| #84 | Murray River | Regional | $956.08 | -11.7% |
| #85 | Cootamundra-Gundagai | Regional | $937.82 | -13.4% |
| #86 | Fairfield | Metro | $913.11 | -15.7% |
| #87 | Greater Hume | Regional | $900.44 | -16.9% |
| #88 | Upper Hunter | Regional | $895.56 | -17.3% |
| #89 | Forbes | Regional | $891.85 | -17.6% |
| #90 | Junee | Regional | $878.28 | -18.9% |
| #91 | Lithgow | Regional | $858.73 | -20.7% |
| #92 | Liverpool Plains | Regional | $845.15 | -22.0% |
| #93 | Strathfield | Metro | $840.17 | -22.4% |
| #94 | Wentworth | Regional | $793.56 | -26.7% |
| #95 | Narromine | Regional | $787.57 | -27.3% |
| #96 | Berrigan | Regional | $787.01 | -27.3% |
| #97 | Muswellbrook | Regional | $778.58 | -28.1% |
| #98 | Snowy Valleys | Regional | $775.58 | -28.4% |
| #99 | Gwydir | Regional | $769.62 | -28.9% |
| #100 | City of Sydney | Metro | $741.37 | -31.5% |
| #101 | Gilgandra | Regional | $739.58 | -31.7% |
| #102 | Uralla | Regional | $728.92 | -32.7% |
| #103 | Cabonne | Regional | $726.26 | -32.9% |
| #104 | Federation | Regional | $720.23 | -33.5% |
| #105 | Narrandera | Regional | $707.44 | -34.7% |
| #106 | Weddin | Regional | $678.55 | -37.3% |
| #107 | Temora | Regional | $674.57 | -37.7% |
| #108 | Hilltops | Regional | $667.74 | -38.3% |
| #109 | Warrumbungle | Regional | $639.11 | -41.0% |
| #110 | Tenterfield | Regional | $631.81 | -41.7% |
| #111 | Warren | Regional | $630.39 | -41.8% |
| #112 | Hay | Regional | $625.95 | -42.2% |
| #113 | Lachlan | Regional | $603.03 | -44.3% |
| #114 | Upper Lachlan | Regional | $591.69 | -45.4% |
| #115 | Walcha | Regional | $539.13 | -50.2% |
| #116 | Cowra | Regional | $520.99 | -51.9% |
| #117 | Coonamble | Regional | $520.93 | -51.9% |
| #118 | Carrathool | Regional | $466.17 | -57.0% |
| #119 | Balranald | Regional | $451.98 | -58.3% |
| #120 | Coolamon | Regional | $408.70 | -62.3% |
| #121 | Walgett | Regional | $407.33 | -62.4% |
| #122 | Bourke | Regional | $396.00 | -63.4% |
| #123 | Lockhart | Regional | $387.55 | -64.2% |
| #124 | Murrumbidgee | Regional | $349.16 | -67.8% |
| #125 | Central Darling | Regional | $333.97 | -69.2% |
| #126 | Bogan | Regional | $328.70 | -69.6% |
| #127 | Brewarrina | Regional | $183.10 | -83.1% |
Data sourced from NSW Office of Local Government YourCouncil database for FY 2022/23. Rates shown are average ordinary residential rates. Your actual rates will depend on your property's specific land valuation and the council's current rate-in-dollar.
There is no single NSW council-rates bill. Check your council, rating category, land value, rate in the dollar or minimum rate, and fixed charges on the notice. The dataset average here is a comparison point, not a quote for your property.
The average ordinary residential rate in this NSW dataset is about $1,083 a year. Treat that as a comparison point, not a cap or forecast. Your actual bill depends on your council, rating category, minimum rate rules, fixed charges, and the land value used for your property.
The Coffs Harbour entry in this FY 2022/23 NSW Office of Local Government dataset is $1,325.67 for the average ordinary rate. It is a comparison figure, not a quote: check your rating category, land value, minimum rate and fixed charges on your notice.
Most NSW ordinary rates start with your Valuer General land value. Council applies its rate in the dollar or minimum rate for your category, then adds fixed items such as waste, stormwater, and annual charges.
A higher bill can come from a higher land value, council-wide rate settings, special variations, or fixed charges. First compare your council against similar councils, then check whether your land value is out of line with comparable properties.
You usually cannot object just because you dislike the bill or council spending. The practical appeal path is to challenge an incorrect land value with the Valuer General, generally within 60 days of the Notice of Valuation.
No. NSW council rates are an Australian local-government charge tied largely to land value and council rating settings. UK council-tax advice uses a different system and will not tell you whether an NSW land value objection is worth lodging.