Calculating your rates and charges
How we calculate rates
Step 1: We work out how much money we need to raise from rates to pay for the services we will deliver.
Step 2: We add up all the valuations of every residential, commercial and industrial property in Port Phillip.
Step 3: We calculate the rate in the dollar for each type of property. Capped rates revenue ÷ value of properties = rate in the dollar
In 2026/27 we need to raise $144.36 million in general rates income. The total value of all properties is $77 billion.
The differential rates for each property type for 2026/27 are in the table below. The vacant type is always 3 times the residential type. The derelict and unactivated retail types are always 4 times the residential type.
| Differential rate type | Rate in the dollar for 2026/27 |
| Resident | $0.001804 |
| Industrial | $0.002174 |
| Commercial | $0.002229 |
| Vacant | $0.005412 |
| Derelict | $0.007216 |
| Unactivated retail | $0.007216 |
Differential rating helps maintain fairness and consistency of rates across property classes. It helps to create a fairer system.
Our Rating Strategy (PDF 1.1 MB) ensures people are charged a fair contribution for services.
Separate waste charges
Your rates bill includes a separate waste charge to help manage the costs of delivering essential and highly valued waste services. You may also have a charge for the Food and Garden Organic Waste (FOGO) service. Many other Melbourne councils take the same fee-for-service approach with waste.
Your waste charge pays for:
- Kerbside collections, including:
- Landfill (red lid bins)
- Recycling (yellow lid bins)
- Public litter bins
- Hard waste collection
- Mattress collection service
- Communal waste hubs
- Dumped rubbish collection
2026/27 charges
- All rateable properties have the waste charge of $278. (Up by $47.70 or 20.7 per cent)
- Properties that have a kerbside FOGO collection will also pay $90 for this service. (Up by $13 or 16.9 per cent)
Your rates bill
On your bill expect to find:
- General rates charge (Capital Improved Value multiplied by the relevant differential rate)
- Waste charge of $278
- Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund (formerly the Victorian Government Fire Services levy)
You may also have:
- Kerbside FOGO bin service charge of $90
- 240-litre waste bin surcharge $326
Your bill will also include concessions or rebates you're entitled to.
Read more about Your rates notice.
Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund
The Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund (ESVF) replaced the Fire Services Property Levy on 1 July 2025.
The levy is be collected by all councils and included in rates notices.
Example charges in 2026/27:
- A $500,000 apartment will have a levy of approximately $225.50.
- A $1.7 million house will have a levy of approximately $433.10.
Got questions?
Contact the Victorian Government:
Tel: 1300 819 033
General Enquiries: State Revenue Office
Eligible CFA or SES volunteers may be eligible for a rebate. Visit Service Victoria to find out more.
What we do with rates and charges
The money raised through rates and charges is used to deliver quality services, $123.1 million in capital projects and manage $3.8 billion in infrastructure.
Every rate payer is provided a copy of our Rates Brochure (PDF 2.9 MB). The brochure has more detail on where and how we spend this income.
Below you'll find links to all our services and current projects. You can also view a breakdown of our spending per $100.
How rates and charges revenue are spent
We deliver a broad range of services for our community. While some of these services generate minimal income and rely on external grants, they play a vital role in community wellbeing.
The income from these sources, along with revenue generated from rates, fees and charges, is invested in these services and infrastructure projects across Port Phillip.