Chief Minister Andrew Barr speaking at the budget update. Photo: George Tsotsos.
The ACT government has flagged average general rates increases for Canberra suburbs in this year’s budget. By suburb, residential general rates are set to rise from between 6 per cent (Hall) to 18 per cent (Barton). The average rise for houses is around 7 per cent, rising to 11 per cent for units (see tables below).
But following recent Legislative Assembly recommendations for changes to the land tax system, the budget does introduce separate ratings factors. This follows householder dissatisfaction over changes to how unit rates were calculated, which raised some by more than 110 per cent after their introduction in 2017.
The rate rises accompany a 20 year-long programme to abolish stamp duty. ABS statistics show that in 2011-12 government revenue totalled $209 million, but now sits at around $492 million since the reforms were implemented. Forecasts show rate rises continuing for the next two years before the reform impacts begin to level off.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr says the Territory government will forge ahead with infrastructure spending plans despite the coming deficit. But crunching the numbers is a challenge post Federal election.
Posted by The RiotACT on Monday, June 3, 2019
The government’s argument is that increasing rates while abolishing other taxes and duties both capitalises on the ACT’s growing population base and is also a more efficient tax base than multiple other charges.
Initially described as revenue neutral when reforms began, the Chief Minister now says the rates will be broadly revenue neutral overall when paired with the decreases in other tax measures. They point to the fact that the average Canberran pays fewer taxes than a NSW resident.
But the continuing rate rises have always represented a hard sell for the government against the Opposition’s “triple your rates” election campaigns and two recent Legislative Assembly enquiries into the pressures on households as a consequence.
Commercial rates have risen even more steeply, coupled with the effect of changed land valuations in a number of Canberra suburbs. The government argued that sales in areas including Civic, Phillip, Turner and Braddon suggested the valuations were lower than they should have been, and in some cases backdated the changes by five years.
Table 1: Residential General Rates by district (Houses)
| Houses | ||||
| District | Av. Rates 2018-19
($) |
Av. Rates 2019-20
($) |
Change ($) | Change (%) |
| Belconnen | 2,158 | 2,321 | 164 | 8 |
| Gungahlin | 1,926 | 2,097 | 172 | 9 |
| North Canberra | 3,607 | 3,929 | 321 | 9 |
| South Canberra | 5,109 | 5,551 | 442 | 9 |
| Tuggeranong | 2,033 | 2,151 | 118 | 6 |
| Weston Creek | 2,380 | 2,536 | 156 | 7 |
| Woden | 3,130 | 3,354 | 224 | 7 |
| Molonglo | 2,439 | 2,589 | 151 | 6 |
Table 2: Residential General Rates by district (Units)
| Units | ||||
| District | Av. Rates 2018-19
($) |
Av. Rates 2019-20
($) |
Change ($) | Change (%) |
| Belconnen | 1,394 | 1,531 | 137 | 10 |
| Gungahlin | 1,270 | 1,383 | 113 | 9 |
| North Canberra | 1,423 | 1,589 | 166 | 12 |
| South Canberra | 1,691 | 1,927 | 236 | 14 |
| Tuggeranong | 1,433 | 1,568 | 136 | 9 |
| Weston Creek | 1,568 | 1,718 | 150 | 10 |
| Woden | 1,595 | 1,769 | 174 | 11 |
| Molonglo | 1,160 | 1,289 | 129 | 11 |
Average General Rates Increases by Suburb
Table 3: Residential General Rates by suburb
| Average Rates | Houses | Units | ||||||
| 2018-19 | 2019-20 | Change ($) | Change (%) | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | Change ($) | Change (%) | |
| Belconnen | ||||||||
| Aranda | $ 3,381 | $ 3,653 | $ 271 | 8% | $ 1,936 | $ 2,077 | $ 141 | 7% |
| Belconnen | $ 1,946 | $ 2,058 | $ 112 | 6% | $ 1,189 | $ 1,304 | $ 115 | 10% |
| Bruce | $ 2,838 | $ 3,058 | $ 220 | 8% | $ 1,400 | $ 1,549 | $ 148 | 11% |
| Charnwood | $ 1,738 | $ 1,849 | $ 111 | 6% | $ 1,387 | $ 1,516 | $ 129 | 9% |
| Cook | $ 2,817 | $ 3,032 | $ 215 | 8% | $ 1,761 | $ 1,974 | $ 213 | 12% |
| Dunlop | $ 1,735 | $ 1,865 | $ 129 | 7% | $ 1,444 | $ 1,559 | $ 115 | 8% |
| Evatt | $ 2,015 | $ 2,181 | $ 166 | 8% | $ 1,430 | $ 1,584 | $ 153 | 11% |
| Florey | $ 2,116 | $ 2,271 | $ 155 | 7% | $ 1,615 | $ 1,799 | $ 184 | 11% |
| Flynn | $ 2,007 | $ 2,155 | $ 149 | 7% | $ 1,553 | $ 1,706 | $ 153 | 10% |
| Fraser | $ 2,027 | $ 2,170 | $ 144 | 7% | $ 1,557 | $ 1,725 | $ 168 | 11% |
| Giralang | $ 2,189 | $ 2,387 | $ 198 | 9% | $ 1,661 | $ 1,822 | $ 161 | 10% |
| Hawker | $ 2,995 | $ 3,178 | $ 183 | 6% | $ 1,681 | $ 1,829 | $ 148 | 9% |
| Higgins | $ 2,060 | $ 2,218 | $ 158 | 8% | $ 1,553 | $ 1,705 | $ 152 | 10% |
| Holt | $ 1,813 | $ 1,962 | $ 149 | 8% | $ 1,335 | $ 1,458 | $ 123 | 9% |
| Kaleen | $ 2,334 | $ 2,529 | $ 196 | 8% | $ 1,541 | $ 1,714 | $ 173 | 11% |
| Latham | $ 1,938 | $ 2,091 | $ 153 | 8% | $ 1,500 | $ 1,623 | $ 122 | 8% |
| Lawson | $ 2,652 | $ 2,841 | $ 189 | 7% | $ 1,312 | $ 1,452 | $ 140 | 11% |
| Macgregor | $ 1,727 | $ 1,855 | $ 128 | 7% | $ 1,450 | $ 1,564 | $ 114 | 8% |
| Macquarie | $ 2,590 | $ 2,807 | $ 217 | 8% | $ 1,477 | $ 1,611 | $ 134 | 9% |
| McKellar | $ 2,191 | $ 2,362 | $ 171 | 8% | $ 1,699 | $ 1,826 | $ 127 | 7% |
| Melba | $ 2,173 | $ 2,308 | $ 135 | 6% | $ 1,590 | $ 1,706 | $ 116 | 7% |
| Page | $ 2,278 | $ 2,442 | $ 163 | 7% | $ 1,599 | $ 1,744 | $ 145 | 9% |
| Scullin | $ 2,020 | $ 2,152 | $ 131 | 7% | $ 1,551 | $ 1,673 | $ 122 | 8% |
| Spence | $ 1,954 | $ 2,097 | $ 143 | 7% | $ 1,551 | $ 1,707 | $ 156 | 10% |
| Weetangera | $ 3,144 | $ 3,382 | $ 238 | 8% | $ 1,897 | $ 2,037 | $ 140 | 7% |
| Gungahlin | ||||||||
| Amaroo | $ 1,932 | $ 2,085 | $ 153 | 8% | $ 1,547 | $ 1,653 | $ 107 | 7% |
| Bonner | $ 1,693 | $ 1,849 | $ 156 | 9% | $ 1,319 | $ 1,412 | $ 93 | 7% |
| Casey | $ 1,796 | $ 1,960 | $ 165 | 9% | $ 1,254 | $ 1,354 | $ 100 | 8% |
| Crace | $ 1,936 | $ 2,145 | $ 209 | 11% | $ 1,099 | $ 1,180 | $ 81 | 7% |
| Forde | $ 2,095 | $ 2,296 | $ 201 | 10% | $ 1,380 | $ 1,493 | $ 114 | 8% |
| Franklin | $ 1,981 | $ 2,220 | $ 239 | 12% | $ 1,038 | $ 1,118 | $ 80 | 8% |
| Gungahlin | $ 1,904 | $ 2,068 | $ 163 | 9% | $ 1,120 | $ 1,240 | $ 120 | 11% |
| Hall | $ 3,587 | $ 3,773 | $ 187 | 5% | $ 1,365 | $ 1,452 | $ 87 | 6% |
| Harrison | $ 1,942 | $ 2,132 | $ 191 | 10% | $ 1,099 | $ 1,205 | $ 106 | 10% |
| Jacka | $ 1,713 | $ 1,852 | $ 140 | 8% | $ 1,200 | $ 1,290 | $ 90 | 8% |
| Moncrieff | $ 1,703 | $ 1,883 | $ 180 | 11% | $ 1,338 | $ 1,485 | $ 147 | 11% |
| Ngunnawal | $ 1,761 | $ 1,880 | $ 119 | 7% | $ 1,400 | $ 1,518 | $ 118 | 8% |
| Nicholls | $ 2,338 | $ 2,572 | $ 234 | 10% | $ 1,721 | $ 1,883 | $ 162 | 9% |
| Palmerston | $ 1,954 | $ 2,145 | $ 191 | 10% | $ 1,750 | $ 1,908 | $ 158 | 9% |
| Taylor | $ 1,938 | $ 2,029 | $ 91 | 5% | ||||
| Throsby | $ 2,365 | $ 2,417 | $ 52 | 2% | ||||
| Molonglo | ||||||||
| Coombs | $ 2,182 | $ 2,371 | $ 188 | 9% | $ 1,308 | $ 1,469 | $ 161 | 12% |
| Denman Prospect | $ 2,756 | $ 2,847 | $ 91 | 3% | ||||
| Wright | $ 2,337 | $ 2,519 | $ 182 | 8% | $ 1,070 | $ 1,180 | $ 110 | 10% |
| North Canberra | ||||||||
| Ainslie | $ 3,783 | $ 4,130 | $ 347 | 9% | $ 2,537 | $ 2,761 | $ 224 | 9% |
| Braddon | $ 4,236 | $ 4,641 | $ 405 | 10% | $ 1,380 | $ 1,553 | $ 173 | 13% |
| Campbell | $ 4,545 | $ 4,931 | $ 386 | 8% | $ 1,551 | $ 1,746 | $ 195 | 13% |
| City | $ 1,166 | $ 1,356 | $ 190 | 16% | ||||
| Dickson | $ 3,344 | $ 3,694 | $ 350 | 10% | $ 1,411 | $ 1,532 | $ 121 | 9% |
| Downer | $ 3,062 | $ 3,301 | $ 239 | 8% | $ 1,687 | $ 1,807 | $ 120 | 7% |
| Hackett | $ 3,370 | $ 3,689 | $ 320 | 9% | $ 1,632 | $ 1,756 | $ 124 | 8% |
| Lyneham | $ 2,991 | $ 3,297 | $ 306 | 10% | $ 1,338 | $ 1,490 | $ 152 | 11% |
| O’Connor | $ 3,913 | $ 4,207 | $ 294 | 8% | $ 1,776 | $ 1,930 | $ 154 | 9% |
| Reid | $ 5,255 | $ 5,740 | $ 485 | 9% | $ 1,572 | $ 1,772 | $ 200 | 13% |
| Turner | $ 5,512 | $ 6,238 | $ 726 | 13% | $ 1,515 | $ 1,677 | $ 162 | 11% |
| Watson | $ 2,756 | $ 2,980 | $ 224 | 8% | $ 1,293 | $ 1,427 | $ 134 | 10% |
| South Canberra | ||||||||
| Barton | $ 6,427 | $ 7,074 | $ 646 | 10% | $ 1,561 | $ 1,844 | $ 283 | 18% |
| Deakin | $ 5,036 | $ 5,492 | $ 456 | 9% | $ 1,843 | $ 2,046 | $ 203 | 11% |
| Forrest | $ 9,604 | $ 10,171 | $ 566 | 6% | $ 2,275 | $ 2,546 | $ 271 | 12% |
| Griffith | $ 5,475 | $ 6,019 | $ 545 | 10% | $ 1,547 | $ 1,749 | $ 201 | 13% |
| Kingston | $ 3,741 | $ 4,136 | $ 394 | 11% | $ 1,502 | $ 1,726 | $ 223 | 15% |
| Narrabundah | $ 3,476 | $ 3,756 | $ 280 | 8% | $ 1,609 | $ 1,785 | $ 177 | 11% |
| Red Hill | $ 6,264 | $ 6,746 | $ 482 | 8% | $ 2,712 | $ 2,964 | $ 252 | 9% |
| Yarralumla | $ 5,656 | $ 6,216 | $ 561 | 10% | $ 3,028 | $ 3,461 | $ 432 | 14% |
| Tuggeranong | ||||||||
| Banks | $ 1,820 | $ 1,916 | $ 96 | 5% | $ 1,623 | $ 1,793 | $ 170 | 10% |
| Bonython | $ 1,989 | $ 2,121 | $ 133 | 7% | $ 1,520 | $ 1,654 | $ 134 | 9% |
| Calwell | $ 2,037 | $ 2,153 | $ 115 | 6% | $ 1,434 | $ 1,584 | $ 150 | 10% |
| Chisholm | $ 1,997 | $ 2,100 | $ 102 | 5% | $ 1,697 | $ 1,938 | $ 241 | 14% |
| Conder | $ 1,909 | $ 2,012 | $ 103 | 5% | $ 1,451 | $ 1,599 | $ 147 | 10% |
| Fadden | $ 2,348 | $ 2,495 | $ 147 | 6% | $ 1,905 | $ 2,097 | $ 192 | 10% |
| Gilmore | $ 2,028 | $ 2,123 | $ 95 | 5% | $ 1,561 | $ 1,724 | $ 163 | 10% |
| Gordon | $ 1,952 | $ 2,064 | $ 113 | 6% | $ 1,370 | $ 1,484 | $ 114 | 8% |
| Gowrie | $ 2,003 | $ 2,111 | $ 108 | 5% | $ 1,700 | $ 1,895 | $ 195 | 11% |
| Greenway | $ 2,071 | $ 2,249 | $ 179 | 9% | $ 1,211 | $ 1,307 | $ 95 | 8% |
| Isabella Plains | $ 1,926 | $ 2,033 | $ 107 | 6% | $ 1,475 | $ 1,608 | $ 133 | 9% |
| Kambah | $ 2,128 | $ 2,265 | $ 137 | 6% | $ 1,570 | $ 1,742 | $ 172 | 11% |
| Macarthur | $ 2,224 | $ 2,362 | $ 138 | 6% | $ 1,608 | $ 1,730 | $ 122 | 8% |
| Monash | $ 2,136 | $ 2,278 | $ 142 | 7% | $ 1,502 | $ 1,649 | $ 147 | 10% |
| Oxley | $ 2,169 | $ 2,291 | $ 121 | 6% | $ 1,637 | $ 1,814 | $ 177 | 11% |
| Richardson | $ 1,914 | $ 2,059 | $ 145 | 8% | $ 1,400 | $ 1,528 | $ 128 | 9% |
| Tharwa | $ 1,766 | $ 1,866 | $ 100 | 6% | ||||
| Theodore | $ 1,903 | $ 2,015 | $ 112 | 6% | $ 1,501 | $ 1,677 | $ 176 | 12% |
| Wanniassa | $ 2,052 | $ 2,145 | $ 93 | 5% | $ 1,569 | $ 1,737 | $ 168 | 11% |
| Weston Creek | ||||||||
| Chapman | $ 3,017 | $ 3,181 | $ 164 | 5% | $ 1,561 | $ 1,712 | $ 151 | 10% |
| Duffy | $ 2,365 | $ 2,526 | $ 161 | 7% | $ 1,574 | $ 1,710 | $ 135 | 9% |
| Fisher | $ 2,336 | $ 2,489 | $ 153 | 7% | $ 1,406 | $ 1,556 | $ 149 | 11% |
| Holder | $ 2,313 | $ 2,437 | $ 124 | 5% | $ 1,616 | $ 1,756 | $ 141 | 9% |
| Rivett | $ 2,163 | $ 2,319 | $ 157 | 7% | $ 1,636 | $ 1,780 | $ 144 | 9% |
| Stirling | $ 2,269 | $ 2,429 | $ 159 | 7% | $ 1,580 | $ 1,795 | $ 215 | 14% |
| Waramanga | $ 2,272 | $ 2,445 | $ 173 | 8% | $ 1,615 | $ 1,751 | $ 135 | 8% |
| Weston | $ 2,336 | $ 2,496 | $ 160 | 7% | $ 1,592 | $ 1,737 | $ 145 | 9% |
| Woden | ||||||||
| Chifley | $ 2,842 | $ 3,022 | $ 179 | 6% | $ 1,723 | $ 1,908 | $ 185 | 11% |
| Curtin | $ 3,267 | $ 3,498 | $ 231 | 7% | $ 1,635 | $ 1,807 | $ 172 | 10% |
| Farrer | $ 3,058 | $ 3,264 | $ 206 | 7% | $ 1,745 | $ 1,866 | $ 122 | 7% |
| Garran | $ 3,731 | $ 3,924 | $ 193 | 5% | $ 1,553 | $ 1,680 | $ 127 | 8% |
| Hughes | $ 3,338 | $ 3,589 | $ 251 | 8% | $ 1,691 | $ 1,876 | $ 185 | 11% |
| Isaacs | $ 2,737 | $ 2,941 | $ 204 | 7% | $ 2,065 | $ 2,271 | $ 207 | 10% |
| Lyons | $ 2,844 | $ 3,094 | $ 249 | 9% | $ 1,453 | $ 1,613 | $ 161 | 11% |
| Mawson | $ 2,953 | $ 3,177 | $ 224 | 8% | $ 1,831 | $ 2,085 | $ 254 | 14% |
| O’Malley | $ 4,677 | $ 4,992 | $ 314 | 7% | $ 2,894 | $ 3,347 | $ 453 | 16% |
| Pearce | $ 3,012 | $ 3,289 | $ 278 | 9% | $ 1,676 | $ 1,839 | $ 163 | 10% |
| Phillip | $ 2,040 | $ 2,183 | $ 144 | 7% | $ 1,322 | $ 1,461 | $ 138 | 10% |
| Torrens | $ 2,791 | $ 2,990 | $ 199 | 7% | $ 1,777 | $ 1,919 | $ 142 | 8% |
| Other | ||||||||
| Oaks Estate | $ 1,767 | $ 1,902 | $ 135 | 8% | $ 1,017 | $ 1,086 | $ 69 | 7% |
| Uriarra Village | $ 1,813 | $ 1,935 | $ 123 | 7% | ||||
Loading ...
