About the policy
The draft Rates and Charges Hardship Policy has been designed to provide fair, consistent, and compassionate treatment for ratepayers who are facing hardship. It provides extended support to individuals and businesses in alignment with the Ministerial Guidelines and responds to the findings of the Victorian Ombudsman’s Investigation into how local councils respond to ratepayers in financial hardship (May 2021).
The latest version of this Policy allows for special payment plans to be developed for residential ratepayers, as well as for commercial and industrial property owners, experiencing hardship.
Guiding principles
The policy is guided by the following principles:
- Flexible, place-based payment options that respond to local community needs and hardship circumstances
- Clear, accessible and easy-to-understand communication through multiple channels
- Fair, equitable, compassionate and proportionate treatment of all ratepayers
- Protection of privacy and confidentiality in accordance with relevant legislation
- Proactive approaches that reduce the cost and escalation of debt for both Council and ratepayers
- Continuous improvement through performance measurement, review and adaptation to community needs
- Community-centred, place-based design that considers local issues and engages local support networks.
Policy highlights
The renewed hardship policy will open up assistance for commercial and industrial ratepayers, as well as non‑primary place of residence (PPR) and vacant land.
To assist ratepayers experiencing short-term or unexpected difficulty, Council will develop more flexible, sustainable payment plans based on the individual's circumstances.
Consideration will be given to the amounts payable by ratepayers in financial hardship.
Financial hardship is when a ratepayer lacks the financial capacity to pay rates, and payment would prevent them from affording the necessities of life for themselves or their dependents. This will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, considering the ratepayer’s individual circumstances and capacity to pay.
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Other ways you can submit your feedback
Prefer not to use the online form? You can also make your submission in writing and return it to us in these ways:
Mail
Rates and Charges Hardship Policy
Merri-bek City Council
Locked Bag 10, Brunswick 3056.
Email
ratescontact@merri-bek.vic.gov.au
In person
- Merri-bek Civic Centre at 90 Bell Street, Coburg
- Glenroy Community Hub, 50 Wheatsheaf Rd, Glenroy
- Brunswick Town Hall, 233 Sydney Rd, Brunswick
