Rates and Levies

Council rates and levies are used to fund many council services including libraries, community centres, replacement and maintenance of roads, pathways, parks and gardens, the collection and disposal of waste, environmental initiatives and other community activities and projects.

Longreach Shire Council issues Rate Notices in February/March each year for the period 1 January to 30 June, and in August/September for the billing period 1 July to 31 December.

Supplementary rate notices may also be issued when there have been adjustments to the rates and charges previously levied.

A full list of rates and charges is available in Council's Revenue Statement(PDF, 202KB).

Fees and Charges Schedule(PDF, 858KB)

For further information, contact Council on 4658 4111.

Payment Options

Online

Pay Your Bills with Mastercard or Visa

Your Reference Number can be found at the bottom of your Rate Notice.

Council accepts MasterCard and Visa cards only.

Credit Card by Phone

Phone 4658 4111 and follow the prompts. You will need the Biller code and your reference number. Please refer to your rates notice under 'Payment Options'.

Council accepts both MasterCard and Visa.

BPAY

Call or log on to your participating financial institution to make a payment from your nominated account. Please quote the BPAY details shown on the bottom of your Rate Notice. Please note that you can no longer BPAY from your credit card.

Mail

Send your cheque or money order with the tear-off section of your Rate Notice to:

Longreach Regional Council
PO Box 472
Longreach QLD 4730

Please make cheque/money order payable to Longreach Regional Council.

Council Offices

Present your rate notice payment at Council's Customer Service Counter at the below addresses between 8.30am and 4.30pm, Monday to Friday.

Longreach – 96 Eagle Street

Isisford – 20 St Mary Street

Ilfracombe - 1 Devon Street (Between the hours of 9.00am and 2.00pm)

You can make a payment by cash, cheque, debit or credit card.

Payment Difficulties

If you are experiencing financial difficulties and cannot pay your notice in full by the due date, please phone Council on (07) 4658 8900 or email at rates@longreach.qld.gov.au to avoid recovery action.

Change of Details

To update your contact details for all correspondences with Council, please complete and return the Change of Contact Information Form(PDF, 308KB).

Discounts and Pensioner Concession

Rates Payment Discount

If you pay within 30 days you will receive a 10% discount on your general rates including certain services and utilities.

To apply for the discount on a payment made after the due date, please make a request in writing. Council will consider approving these requests depending on the situation.

When making a request, you should:

  1. pay the rates as shown on the rate notice
  2. submit a discount on late rate payment request
  3. attach any supporting documents.

Pensioner Concessions

Eligible Pensioner Concession Card holders receive assistance in the payment of their rates and charges via a Council rebate on their principal place of residence only. This remission is in addition to the State Government Pensioner Rate Subsidy Scheme.

Eligibility for these rebates is determined by the criteria for eligibility set for the State Government Pensioner Rate Subsidy Scheme. For further information please visit http://www.qld.gov.au/community/cost-of-living-support/concessions/

How to apply for a pensioner concession

To make an application for a pensioner concession, please complete the Pensioner Rates Remission Form(PDF, 951KB).

Return the form in person to one of Council's offices or you can send the form to Council by:

Post:

Longreach Regional Council
PO Box 472
Longreach QLD 4730

Email: council@longreach.qld.gov.au

Please note: If you wish to post or email your pensioner rebate form:

  • A verified copy of your concession card must be included with this application.
  • Valid concession cards include either:
    • Queensland Pensioner Concessions Card issued by Centrelink or the Department of Veteran Affairs
    • Veterans' Affairs Repatriation Health Gold Card issued by the Department of Veteran Affairs.

Property Search Request

A property search contains detailed rates and charges information required for settlement purposes and information that the purchaser needs to know e.g. Current Financial Years rates and charges; including applicable issue periods, payments received and interest charged or accrued on the property account; etc.

  • Fast Tracked property search - provided in two (2) working days from receipt of application and payment.
  • Standard property search – allow a minimum of seven (7) working days from receipt of application and payment.

To obtain a property search, please complete a Property Search Request Form(PDF, 462KB) and return to Council with payment of the appropriate fee.

Payment is required on application. If submitting the form digitally, Council's Customer Service department will call you for payment via credit card.

Levies and Special Charges

Levies

Rates contain levies set by council. The key environment, public transport, and tourism levies provide vital project funding to protect and enhance the sustainability of the region.

Details of other levies are contained in the Revenue Statement(PDF, 202KB).

Environment Levy

The Environment Levy contributes to sustaining a healthy environment by allowing Council to fund a range of strategic environmental management initiatives across the region. Every property throughout the region is charged $66.00 per half year. In this way, Council and the community are working together to protect the long-term health of the environment.

Emergency Management Levy

The Emergency Management Levy is not a council charge. Councils throughout Queensland levy this charge on behalf of the State Government and remit all revenue collected to the State Government, who use it to fund the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service and Emergency Management Queensland. Information about the State Emergency Management Levy can be found on the QFES website.

Special Charges

Control of Pests

The Control of Pets Special Charge is the provision of pest control services through coordinated baiting programs to assist with the control of wild dogs and wild pigs on rural land and will improve the viability of and benefits from the land for the occupier. The rateable land to which the special charge applies is all rural land within the Longreach Regional Council area with an area greater than 25 hectares, this has an annual charge of 2.85 cents per hectare for the financial year ending 30 June 2025.

Longreach Wild Dog Exclusion Fence Scheme Special Charge (LWDEFS)

The Overall Plan for the LWDEFS Charge was adopted by Council at its 21 July 2016 Budget Meeting. This service, facility or activity is the borrowing of funds to implement the project, purchase materials and construct exclusion fencing that controls pest animals for the identified rateable land to which the charge will apply. The LWDEFS charge will be levied and paid over 20 years for each of the parcels of identified rateable land from the commencement of the arrangement with each property.

Rating Information

General Rates

Every rateable property in the Longreach Regional Council region is levied a general rate. As Council uses a system of differential general rates all properties in the region are classified into one of 35 general rate categories, each with its own rate in the dollar and minimum general rate. The general rate for a property is calculated by multiplying the rateable value of the land, as determined by the Department of Resources, by the rate in the dollar for the relevant category. If the calculated amount is below the minimum for that category, then the minimum general rate is levied.

For enquiries about the rateable value of your property contact the Department of Resources.

The Rating Category Statement lists all differential general rate categories. For details on the criteria used to define each general rate category, please refer to the Table of Rating Categories found in Council's current Rating Category Statement(PDF, 198KB).

If you are not satisfied with the category allocated to your property you can object but only if you believe that, based on Council's criteria for categorising rateable land, your property should be in another category. An objection must be lodged with Council using the Review of Rates & Charges Form(PDF, 570KB) within 30 days from the date of issue on your Rate Notice.

If you lodge an objection, the levied rates and charges are still due and payable. If the differential category is altered as a result of the objection council will make an adjustment to the rates and advise you in writing.

Interest

Council charges interest on rates and charges not paid by the due date. Interest charges are 12.35% per year compounding daily.

Other Fees and Charges

Council has the power to conduct business activities and make fees and charges for services and facilities it provides on this basis. Other fees and charges are made where Council provides a service and the other party to the transaction can choose whether or not to avail itself of the service. These fees and charges will reflect full cost recovery plus an administration fee plus a small profit margin. Other Fees and Charges are listed in Council’s Register of Fees and Charges(PDF, 858KB).

Sale of Land

Procedure

Council has resolved to sell land because overdue rates and charges have remained unpaid for a period longer than the period allowed under section 140(1)(c) of the Local Government Regulation 2012.

Council must give a copy of the notice of intention to sell and, at the appropriate time, a copy of the auction notice, to all interested parties, including the owner of the land.

Council is giving a copy of the notice of intention to sell and, in the appropriate circumstances, a copy of the auction notice, to owners of the land described in the Schedule below by way of substituted service under section 239 of the Local Government Act 2009 (Qld) because despite making reasonable enquiries and attempts to serve the notice on the owner, Council does not know, or is uncertain about, the owner's current address.

Public Notice

 - Notice of Intention to Sell - Harris(PDF, 2MB)

Auction Notice

Local Government Regulation 2012

This is an Auction Notice under Section 142 of the Local Government Regulation 2012 ('the Regulation').

On 18th November 2024 Longreach Regional Council issued a Notice to of Intention to Sell pursuant to Section 140 of the Regulation to sell the land described below by way of auction.

You are hereby notified that Longreach Regional Council intends to proceed with the auction for the sale of land described in the below under Sections 141 to 143 of the Regulation unless all overdue rates, interest and other amounts are paid immediately.

Full description of land to be sold by auction:

Property Address       Lot & Plan        Title Reference           Property Size
 35 Cassowary Street, Longreach QLD 4730                                                                            Lot 8 Crown Plan L35724   30511030 1,214m2
 -Auction Notice - 35 Cassowary Street, Longreach QLD 4730(PDF, 128KB)      
 65 Flinders Street, Ilfracombe QLD 4727     Lot 7 Survey Plan 159876  50614489  876m2
 -Auction Notice - 65 Flinders Street, Ilfracombe QLD 4727(PDF, 127KB)      

 

Auction Details

11.00am Wednesday 18th June 2025

Civic Centre (Fairmount Room) - 96a Eagle Street, Longreach QLD 4730

 

Important Information:

  1. Please note, properties can be removed from sale. As such, continue to check Council's website as the list of properties going to Auction will continuously be updated.
  2. 10% Deposit is required to be paid on the day of Auction; Personal Cheques will not be accepted.
  3. Please ensure you bring sufficient identification.
  4. If purchasing as a company, please ensure you have your A.C.N details and that all representitives of the company are present to sign contracts.
  5. Council will begin allowing entry from 10.00am on the day of the auction for an 11.00am start.
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