2026-27 Operational Plan & Budget
The Operational Plan & Budget is still on public exhibition for a another few weeks. This year the total collected from general property rates will increase by the 4% rate pegging limit ($454,000) to $11,799,445.
Total capital works will amount to $25,546,000 including $11,000,000 for the new Clarence Town bridge, which with all associated road works is expected to be fully completed by December 2026. The new bridge will be used in traffic before then, but traffic lights will regulate traffic. The capital works program includes rehabilitation of Limeburners Creek Road from the bridge to the Glen Martin Road intersection.
Rates Calculations
The NSW Valuer-General’s Office has updated the valuation of every rateable property in Dungog Shire for a combined total of total $3,836,779,584. This is an increase of $102,494,991 or about 3% over the 2022 valuation, which was $3,734,350,593 .
However, some individual property valuations will have increased more than others within the same rating category i.e. Farmland, Residential Clarence Town, and Residential (large lots residential) etc because property sales affect changes in land values. Larger increases occur in areas with more sales and this can lead to changes in rate distribution across the LGA.
The valuations only consider the value of the land itself and do not include the value of a home or other structures. The new valuations will become effective in our rates notices from 1 July 2026. They only have an indirect affect because the general rates for each property are calculated using a combination of the Base Amount and the Ad Valorum component, which applies the valuation.
This happens every year whereby the IPART approved rate pegging increase is added to the total of rates collected the previous year. For FY26-27 the total of the Base Amount will be $3,115,097 and Ad Valorem will be $8,684,348.
The Base Amount is not affected by changes in land value, it is applied so that every property contributes towards the cost of providing common services regardless of its valuation.
The Ad Valorum component considers property valuation within each rating category. The individual property valuations are all added together and divided into the total Ad Valorum component to produce a cents-in-the-dollar rate for that category.
It ends up a very small fraction that is multiplied by the valuation of each individual property to determine the rates payable. So it becomes a matter of how your new value compares with others in the same rating category. The Ad Valorum rate is shown on the Council rates notice.
Your local B Ward Councillors:
James Campbell 0484 599 709
james.campbell@dungog.nsw.gov.au
Steve low 4996 4022 steve.low49@gmail.com
