We administer higher council rate caps, produce council monitoring reports and conduct inquiries and reviews that promote sustainable outcomes for councils and the community.
Local government
View information on the higher cap applications we receive and whether we have accepted or rejected those applications.
We assess, then accept or reject higher rate caps proposed by councils.
View resources that aim to help councils apply for a higher cap, meet our reporting requirements and comply with the rate cap set by the minister or an approved higher cap.
Read monitoring reports that determine whether councils have complied with the relevant rate cap when they sets their rates for each financial year.
View research and findings that promote the long-term interests of ratepayers.
Featured work
We assess, then approve or reject council applications for a higher rate cap than the one set by the Minister for Local Government. We also produce several resources that show why we approved or rejected a council's application.
We designed resources to help councils effectively engage with their communities about higher cap applications. Our resources also consider regulatory requirements that councils must follow when they apply for a higher cap.
We commissioned an independent study to better understand how population growth affects a council’s bottom line.
Each year, the Minister for Local Government sets the rate cap that specifies the maximum councils’ can increase rates for the forthcoming financial year. We provide the minister with advice on the average rate cap for each financial year.