Residents across The Hills Shire are being invited to weigh in on a proposed overhaul of the council’s rating structure, a move aimed at keeping residential rates fair while meeting the costs of a rapidly growing community.
Council modelling suggests that the majority of households would benefit from the change, with 47,482 homes expected to be better off under the change than under the current system. Without adjustments, the council says rising cost pressures would increasingly be passed on to residents over time.
Under the proposed model, apartment owners would see an average weekly increase of about $3.85, while owners of standalone houses would see a smaller weekly increase of about 56 cents. These figures already factor in the 4.7 per cent rate peg set by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART), which caps the total amount of revenue councils can collect from rates each year.
Council argues that maintaining the existing structure would result in higher average increases for many households over the long term. Pensioner rebates would continue to apply under the new model.
Mayor of The Hills Shire, Dr Michelle Byrne, said the proposed adjustments will align rate contributions with the cost of delivering essential services and infrastructure, share costs more fairly across a growing community, and reduce financial impacts on residents in future years.
“The Hills is the fastest-growing council area in NSW. We need to make sure the way we collect rates reflects the level of services and infrastructure required by our rapidly expanding community,” Mayor Byrne said.
“This proposed rating structure ensures that standalone homeowners are not unfairly paying higher rates and apartment owners make a fairer contribution to our ongoing infrastructure challenges.
“I’m proud of the fact that The Hills Shire has one of the lowest average residential rates in Sydney and is one of the few councils to have not applied for a Special Rate Variation in decades.”
Importantly, the proposed changes would not increase the council’s overall rate revenue beyond legislated limits. The new rating model has also been independently peer-reviewed by Morrison Low Advisory, which found the redistribution to be fair across the ratepayer base.
Public consultation on the proposal is now open, with feedback helping to shape the final decision. Subject to community input, the revised rating structure is expected to come into effect from 1 July 2026.
Alongside the proposed changes, the council has introduced a new flexible payment option, Payble, which allows ratepayers to make weekly, fortnightly, or monthly payments, with SMS reminders to help households stay on track. Residents experiencing financial difficulty are encouraged to contact the council to discuss available support.
Learn more and provide feedback at: http://www.thehills.nsw.gov.au
