General rates pay for all Council spending that is not funded from any other source.
Council charges a relatively small fixed charge per property (the Uniform Annual General Charge), plus a larger amount based on the property's Capital Value. This ensures that rates are collected broadly in proportion to property values, whilst ensuring that all properties pay a minimum amount towards the running of the city.
In 2018/19, the Uniform Annual General Charge is set at $117.56 and the value-based general rate at 0.290650 cents per dollar of Capital Value.
However, the value-based general rate is charged differently to business and some farming properties, because businesses are considered to put greater pressure on Council spending and remote rural properties less pressure.
These general rate differentials are set so that business properties pay 169.7% of the standard general rate, and remote rural properties 75% of the standard general rate.
These rating differentials are based on property use, not land zoning. For example, rural-zoned land in the City Plan may not qualify for a lower rating differential if the property is close enough to the city to fall within the Council’s sewer network.
View the operational criteria for the remote rural differential [PDF, 24 KB].