Compare your rates online

Published on 12 August 2020

Three column charts. The left and middle describes the average residential rates and charges of different Councils. The right describes Fairfield City Council’s budgeted expenditure on assets in 2020/2021 in $m. The data is described below.

We all need Council’s services for the community to function well, whether it’s using the local parks and libraries, or having our rubbish collected and streets cleaned. That’s why we all need to do our part by paying rates and charges. Council wants to ensure that we are transparent and accountable for how much we charge and where our rates go. That’s why we’ve introduced a ‘compare your rates’ function on our website, so we can make sure we are providing the best value rates, while still delivering on the services we need. This will enable us all to see that Fairfield City Council is working hard to keep rates low.

Our rates go towards a lot of initiatives. It’s not just fixing the roads ($24.7 million) and cutting the grass ($4.2 million). It includes street lights ($3.5 million), emergency management ($2 million), running our leisure centres ($10 million) and libraries ($7.4 million) and so much more.

This year is different. Times are tough, for the community and for Council. We have to continue to provide the services we all need and expect, while facing this global pandemic and the economic consequences. Our community is also doing it tough, with job uncertainty and small businesses heavily impacted. We want to support residents by ensuring rates and charges remain the same or less for most residents, while keeping up with increased costs and providing the same level of services, so we will be running at a deficit of $3 million for the first time in many years. We are fortunate to be able to do this with no increase to our debt levels, due to good financial management over a number of years.

We will continue to invest in our community and we haven’t stopped creating jobs or building a better way of life for our community. It’s only through many years of good financial management that we are one of the few councils that have not increased rates and levies for most of the community.

I encourage you to go to our website and compare rates and charges, including debt levels of neighbouring council areas - www.fairfieldcity.nsw.gov.au/comparerates.

Providing this service keeps us transparent and accountable as a council, and we will always try to provide the most efficient rates while still investing in the things that are important to our community.

You would have recently received your rates notice in the post or by email. Don’t forget to take advantage of the free green waste voucher that is included in your rates notice. You can drop off green waste for free at any time in the next 12 months. Especially after the heavy storms we have over the weekend, now is a perfect time to do a spring clean by trimming tree branches, removing any leaf litter or fallen branches, and getting your garden beds looking great for spring. 

Average resident rates and charges of neighbouring councils

Fairfield City Council has the lowest average residential rates and charges of neighbouring councils.

Council Average Rate ($) If we charged other Council's rates, this is how much more residents would have to pay 
Fairfield   $1,399  $0
Holroyd  $1,665  $10.4m
Blacktown  $1,671  $9.7m
Bankstown  $1,691 $11.4m
Liverpool $1,683 $16.5m
Camden  $1,989 $24.8m
Penrith  $1,934 Not recorded

 

Fairfield City Council budgeted expenditure on assets in 2020/2021 in $m

Council's budgeted infrastructure expenditure for 2020/2021 totals more than $72 million.

Assets Fairfield City Council budgeted expenditure on assets in 2020/2021 in $m
Stormwater 0.5m
Footpaths & Cycleways  2.2m
Other assets 4.3m
Plant & Equipment 8.7m
Buildings & Facilities 9.7m
Open Space 22.7m
Roads & Transport  24.7m