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We have a differential general rating scheme that recognises the diverse demographics of the region. This approach recognises land used for the following purposes:

• city and outer urban areas
• main towns and small towns
• extensive rural areas
• commercial and general industrial areas
• large retail
• extractive industries
• noxious industries
• shopping centres
• mining
• power generation.

The category that your land has been placed in appears on the second page of your rate notice (see example above). Read more about rating categories.

Separate charges are for any other service, facility or activity that is not funded through other rates and charges.

A Public Transport Levy (replaces the previous Park and Open Space Levy and Biosecurity and Bushland Conservation Levy) will be levied on all rateable land within our region. 

The revenue raised from this levy is for the purposes of implementation of the Toowoomba Regional Council Sustainable Transport Strategy 2023. Revenue raised from this charge will be used to fund either all or in part of the costs associated with our implementation of this strategy.

Special charges are for services, facilities and activities that have a special association with particular land.

Rural Fire Equipment Levy

Pursuant to section 94 of the Local Government Regulation 2012 and section 128A of the Fire and Emergency Services Act 1990, we levy a special charge (to be known as the “Rural Fire Equipment Levy”) on all rateable land within our region that also attracts a Class E Emergency Management Levy (pursuant to Part 3 of the Fire and Emergency Services Regulation 2011), to fund the ongoing provision and maintenance of rural fire fighting equipment, operations and buildings for the rural fire brigades that operate throughout the rural areas of the region.

Utility charges are for a service, facility or activity for water, sewerage and waste management.

Sewerage utility charges

Sewerage utility charges apply to all properties that are contained either wholly or partly within the declared sewered area or outside the declared sewered area but connected or may be connected to our sewerage system. Revenue from these charges is used for the purpose of covering the cost of planning and constructing sewerage infrastructure (including interest and redemption charges incurred by us) and the cost of operating, maintaining and managing the sewerage system. The charge is set so as to recover these costs. A charge is applied to each W.C. pedestal installed on each property (exceptions apply).

Waste management utility charges

Waste management utility charges are determined on a user pays basis and collected and used for the purpose of covering the cost of supplying a waste management service for the removal and disposal of waste. The charges are set so as to recover waste management costs including:

• waste service administration
• planning, delivery and improvement of existing waste facility operations
• planning and delivery of new waste facilities
• waste minimisation and reduction education
• post closure of waste facilities, including rehabilitation of closed landfill sites
• for commercial waste collection only, the State Waste Levy.

The waste management services provided include –

• residential - waste collection
• residential - recycling collection
• residential - greenwaste collection
• commercial - waste collection
• commercial - recycling collection
• commercial - greenwaste collection

Integrated in the provision of waste management services is a recycling program. In respect to domestic waste, a waste management utility charge is applied per tenement where a waste collection service and recycling collection service or a waste collection shared service and recycling collection shared service is not applied per tenement due to sharing of services such as bulk waste bin services. “Tenement” includes any premises used as a separate domicile such as, for example -

• a single unit private dwelling or
• premises containing 2 or more flats, apartments or other dwelling units, each used as a separate domicile or
• a boarding house, hostel, lodging house, or guest house.

In respect to rural properties not receiving any waste collection service from us, a waste management facility charge will be applied where waste is generated or is capable of being generated from rural properties with a domestic component.

Also, we will levy a Waste Facilities and Landfill Rehabilitation Levy (previously known as the Environmental Levy) on all rateable land within the region for the purposes of planning, delivery and improvement of new and existing waste management facilities and rehabilitation of closed landfill sites 

Trade waste utility charges

Revenue from these charges is used for the purpose of recovering the additional costs of operating, maintaining and managing the sewerage system, resulting from acceptance of waste from commercial and industrial premises which has an organic strength greater than that of domestic sewerage and which may also contain a variety of exotic substances such as heavy metals, organic solvents, and chlorinated organics which sewerage treatment systems are not designed to treat. 

The Queensland Government Fire and Rescue Act 1990, requires Councils to levy and collect, on its behalf, a State Emergency Management Levy. 

The levy is to provide a more sustainable funding base for emergency services, recognising that all Queenslanders are at risk from possible floods, cyclones, storms, fires and accidents. It will be used by local rural fire groups to fund activities within our region. The levy is based on property use, the structures on the property and the fire and rescue capability in the area.

Please contact Queensland Fire and Emergency Services on 137 468 for more information regarding the levy.

Sometimes when settlement occurs during the rates issue period the notice is issued to the previous owner. Even though settlement has taken place, it can take us up to three months to receive notification of the new owner from the titles office. If this occurs, contact us and we can check the status of the change of ownership.