There  are 23,684 rateable properties in Great Lakes Shire.

This does not include crown land upon which rates are not levied.

Rates are levied on the value of the parcel of land, not as a direct proportion to that value but relatively to the value of the whole shire.

Councils are limited to the maximum amount of rates they can raise.

That is, they may be only allowed to raise say $1 million in rates across the shire.

Council does not divide that cost equally among each ratepayer but   takes a percentage of the total value of land across the shire which may be say 1 cent for every dollar of value.

That one cent is then applied to the individual dollar value of the land.

This means that if everybody’s value of their land rose equally, their rates would not go up as the cent rate in the dollar would go down.

Similarly if everyone’s value of land went down equally their rates also would not go down.

Problems and anomalies arise when land valuations go up or down across the shire not equally but erratically.

If there are big increases in some areas and big decrease in other areas some ratepayers will have very strange changes.

Land valuation is conducted every three years by the NSW Valuer General.

The land value does not include the value of your house, buildings, or other improvements to the land.

The last value was undertaken in 2011.

The Valuer General has revalued the land this year and all ratepayers will receive a new valuation of their land in early January next year.

You will have until 27 March to object to the valuation.

This is not a council process but a matter for the Valuer General.

Further information can be found on their website. www.lpi.nsw.gov.au

Separately, Council received the report from the consultants about the Hawks Nest town centre last week, it is a comprehensive report.

Council has put the report on exhibition for comment.

It should be on our website. In addition Council will be undertaking further community engagement during January.