Rates information Sunshine Coast Council

Where your rates go

Council funds many services and facilities to the community through rates payments. These services include:

community facilities and services
parks and gardens
environment
roads and transport
economic initiatives
organisational excellence.

A full list of rates and charges are available in Council's 2025-26 Revenue Statement (HTML/PDF, 6.6MB).

Council issues rates notices twice a year:

in January for the six-month period from 1 January to 30 June
in July for the six-month period from 1 July to 31 December.

Additional supplementary rate notices may also be issued to a new owner, or when there have been adjustments to the rates and charges levied in January or July.

Rate notice supporting documentation

Rate Notice supporting document for 1 July 2025 to 31 December 2025

Schedule of Rates 2025-26 (Rating Category Statement) & Mayors Message (HTML/PDF, 900KB)

Land valuations

The value of your land, along with the main or primary land use, is the basis for the calculation of the General Rate. The State Valuation Services sets this rateable value.

For valuation enquiries please contact State Valuation Services.

What are 'Differential General Rates'?

Differential General Rates are different amounts of rates charged to properties based on factors like how the land is used and your land valuation set by State Valuation Services.

The Differential General Rate categories are detailed in the 2025-26 Revenue Statement (HTML/PDF, 6.6MB). Every property in the region has been allocated one of these categories.

How are your rates are calculated?

Each category has a 'cents in the dollar rate'. Differential General Rates are calculated by multiplying the rateable value of a property by the category's 'cents in the dollar rate'. The minimum charge applies when the resulting amount is below the set minimum Differential General Rate for the category.

Differential General Rate objections

Differential General Rate category objection

If you believe your Differential General Rate category is incorrect you may object. The only grounds for objection is that you believe your property should be in another category. Objections should be lodged within 30 days from the issue of the rate notice using the Differential General Rate objection form (DOCX, 300KB/PDF, 380KB).

If you lodge an objection the rates and charges levied continue to be due and payable by the due date.

If you do not wish to pay in full and have no outstanding rates from a prior rating period, there is also the option to set up an interest free payment plan. Payment plans will not incur interest charges when payments are maintained.

If the Differential General Rate category is changed as an outcome of the objection, Council will adjust the rates and advise you in writing.

If the Differential General Rate is not changed as an outcome of the objection, in accordance with section 92 of the Local Government Regulation 2012, the landowner may appeal to the Land Court within 42 days of receiving the objection outcome from Council.

Differential General Rate category objection for a Principal place of residence (PPR)

A principal place of residence (PPR) is defined as a residential dwelling or unit where at least one owner/ratepayer permanently resides. A detailed definition is outlined in the 2025-26 Revenue Statement (HTML/PDF, 6.6MB). The rating category for a PPR property is different to a property where the owners do not reside. The categories recognise the different use of the land.

To object to a non-PPR category complete a Differential General Rate objection form (DOCX,300KB/PDF, 380KB). You are required to supply supporting documents as proof of residency.

Note: specific supporting documents are required if your ownership is under a Company or Trust. Refer to the Differential General Rate objection form (DOCX, 300KB/PDF, 380KB) for details.

Differential General Rate category objection that is not related to your principal place of residence

Please refer to the full definitions of each Differential General Rate category as detailed in the Differential General Rates (Section 3.4 Table 1 of the 2025-26 Revenue Statement (HTML/PDF, 6.6MB) before lodging an objection using the Differential General Rate objection form (DOCX, 300KB/PDF, 380KB).

Differential General Rate category objection for Transitory Accommodation - non-domiciled property use by owner

A non-domiciled property is defined as a property that is not the owner’s declared residential address and the Differential General Rate category is one of the following 16RT, 16UT, 17RT, 17UT, 18RT, 18UT, 19RT, 19UT, 27T, 29T. For further details refer to the 2025-26 Revenue Statement (HTML/PDF, 6.6MB).

An owner of a non-domiciled property who has exclusively used the property for 28 days or more in a 6-month rating period may seek a Differential General Rate category adjustment for the period of their use. Complete the Differential General Rate objection form – Transitory Accommodation non-domiciled property owner (DOCX, 575KB/PDF, 757KB).

Council will accept one Transitory Accommodation objection form per 6-month rating period. Objections are required to be submitted for the July 2025 to December 2025 rating period before the 30 June 2026 and for the January 2026 to June 2026 rating period submitted before 31 August 2026.

Separate charges

Arts and Heritage Levy

The Arts and Heritage Levy (HTML) funds arts and cultural heritage projects, in line with the goals and strategies endorsed within the Sunshine Coast Heritage Plan 2021-2031 (HTML/PDF, 2.71 MB), the Sunshine Coast Arts Plan 2023-2038, (HTML/PDF, 2.65MB) in accordance with Council's Arts and Heritage Levy Policy.

The 2025-26 levy is $20 per rateable land.

Environment Levy

The annual Environment Levy (HTML) in accordance with Council's Environment Levy Policy, will:

support the implementation of projects in the Environment and Liveability Strategy (HTML)
protect and enhances our natural environment
support purchase and management of conservation lands, catchment and coastal rehabilitation projects.

The 2025-26 levy is $82 per rateable land.

Transport Levy

The annual Transport Levy (HTML) helps Council plan for future transport needs. In accordance with Council's Transport Levy Policy, the levy funds strategic transport infrastructure, services and initiatives that play a key role including but not limited to:

Utilising levy revenue to fund or leverage selected eligible transport infrastructure for multi-modal transport outcomes that have priority but cannot be provided in a timely manner through existing funding mechanisms
Allowing Council to influence the bringing forward of investment in State and Federal Government transport network improvements
Enabling Council to enter into partnerships with the State Government, and potentially third-party interests, to jointly fund selected eligible transport infrastructure and initiatives
Enabling Council to fund selected eligible initiatives, projects and services for community benefit
Enabling Council to raise awareness within the community of travel choices, leading to a change of travel behaviour, to increase the use of sustainable transport and related network operation
An increased level of community awareness on the current and future transport issues facing the Sunshine Coast Regional Council local government area
Develop and maintain a broad understanding of likely future strategic transport ‘disruptions’
Building a Transport Futures Fund directed at achieving long term, multi-modal transport infrastructure outcomes
Complementing Council’s vision and supporting the objectives of Council’s Integrated Transport Strategy.

The 2025-26 levy is $43.92 per rateable land.

State Government charge (collected on behalf of Council)

Council is required to collect the State Emergency Management Levy in accordance with the Fire Services Act 1990 (HTML).

The levy set this financial year is in accordance with the Fire Services Regulation 2011 - effective 1 July 2025 (HTML). All funds collected from charging the State Emergency Management Levy are paid to the Queensland Fire Department. The levy is applied to all Queensland properties to ensure there is a sustainable funding base for our fire and emergency services and recognises that all Queenslanders are at risk from a wide range of emergencies including floods, cyclones, storms as well as fire and accidents.

Utility charges

Waste Management Charge

Utility charges for waste management, including cleansing and waste removal activities are for the purpose of defraying the costs of operating, maintaining and managing the collection and disposal of waste from all lands and premises in Council’s local government area.

Maroochydore City Centre Priority Development Area - Waste Management Utility Charge

Waste management utility charges apply to all commercial premises and domestic premises within the Maroochydore City Centre Priority Development Area which are directly or indirectly connected to the Automated Waste Collection Service (AWCS) of Council.

Prescribed Services Charge

The Prescribed Services Charge applies to properties within the Maroochydore City Centre Priority Development Area (PDA) in accordance with the Maroochydore City Centre Infrastructure Agreement 2017 (PDF, 1MB).

The Prescribed Services Charge contributes towards the capital costs, and operation and maintenance costs of the Automated Waste Collection System (AWCS) which services the PDA.

The Prescribed Services Charge is calculated in accordance with the Prescribed Services Charge Plan (PDF, 590KB). Table 11 of the Prescribed Services Charge Plan sets out the Prescribed Services Charge for different development types.

Interest

Interest charges will be applied to all overdue rates or charges under section 133 of the Local Government Regulation 2012. For a day on or after 1 July 2025 the interest rate is 8% per annum. The interest will be compound interest, calculated on daily rates.

To avoid interest charges, you must either pay your rates in full by the due date or establish an arrangement to pay your rates by instalments see 'Direct Debit' section prior to the due date on the rate notice.