Adopted by Council

March 2021

Creating a fairer rates system

Each year we collect rates to fund community infrastructure and services. At the moment these rates are different depending on where you live in the Northern Beaches.

We are required by the NSW Government to harmonise the rating structure of the former Manly, Pittwater and Warringah Councils by 1 July 2021.

Harmonising rates will enable a fairer and more equitable approach to rates collection.

As part of this process, we are also harmonising our pensioner concession policies, stormwater charges and refining our hardship policy.

Community and stakeholder engagement on the Rates Harmonisation process was carried out from Monday 18 January until Sunday 28 February 2021.

At the meeting on Tuesday 23 March 2021, Council adopted the methodology for Rates Harmonisation. The process was implemented on 1 July 2021 as per the Council recommendation.

It also endorsed the harmonisation of the Stormwater Management Service Charge, Pensioner Rates & Charges and Concession Policy and Hardship Policy.

View the Council minutes

Engagement history


Rates harmonisation webinars and calculator

Since webinar production we have successfully advocated to the NSW Government for a change to legislation which will allow us to gradually implement harmonisation over four years for ad valorem ratepayers. As an additional support for COVID recovery, we are proposing no harmonisation changes until 2022/23.


The gradual harmonisation of rates and our ability to not apply any changes until 2022/23 are subject to the passing of proposed legislation by the state government as well as the adoption of these changes by the elected Council.

Under our proposal for gradual harmonisation no ad valorem ratepayer would experience an increase of more than 10 per cent in one year, with the exception a small number of Ordinary Business ratepayers. Their increase would be 14 per cent in 2022/23 and 2023/24 and nine per cent in 2024/25, as the change would be over three years rather than four as originally proposed.

While we need to introduce a fairer rates system we are mindful of the impacts any sudden increase may have on individual ratepayers.

To minimise this, we have successfully advocated to the NSW Government for a change to legislation which will allow us to gradually implement harmonisation over four years for ad valorem ratepayers.

During the exhibition period we provided access to a rates calculator to make it easier to estimate the proposed changes.

Proposed rate structure - residential and business

Click through the tiles below to learn more.

Harmonised policies and stormwater charge