Rating Strategy

Between 29 November 2023 - 2 February 2024, the City sought community and stakeholder feedback on an Options Paper to inform the development of a Rating Strategy for Hobart. A summary of the engagement results can now be found in the Community Engagement Summary Report.

At its April 2024 meeting, the Hobart City Council endorsed the new Rating Strategy. If you would like to read the report considered by Council, this can be found on the April Council Agenda (item 11).



Project background

The City of Hobart is reviewing its Rating Strategy to make sure we have a rating system that is fair for the whole City, sustainable, affordable for the community, easy to understand and supports ratepayers capacity to pay.

The rates we collect are a form of property tax. The value of a property is used to determine what each property owner pays. Rates fund essential programs, services and infrastructure for the community.

The City of Hobart has decided to change the property valuation base it uses for rating from Assessed Annual Value to Capital Value. While the Council has endorsed the change of valuation base, how the rating system is implemented is explored in an Options Paper. Community feedback is now being sought on the Options Paper.

The Options Paper:

  • Provides the community and stakeholders with information about rating
  • Addresses different rating systems including municipal charges and differential rating across different land uses (e.g. commercial, residential, industrial)
  • Proposes a number of options for how rates could be charged on different kinds of properties in the municipal area

You can download the Options Paper under the document section found on the right hand side of this page. You can also find the City's current Rates and Charges Policy in the same section.

If you would like to know more about the Rating Strategy, why we need to review it and how it will be used, you can read through the FAQs, which can be found on the right hand side of this page. You can also use the Online Q&A tool to ask us a question.


Engagement for this project was open from 29 November 2023 until 2 February 2024.



Between 29 November 2023 - 2 February 2024, the City sought community and stakeholder feedback on an Options Paper to inform the development of a Rating Strategy for Hobart. A summary of the engagement results can now be found in the Community Engagement Summary Report.

At its April 2024 meeting, the Hobart City Council endorsed the new Rating Strategy. If you would like to read the report considered by Council, this can be found on the April Council Agenda (item 11).



Project background

The City of Hobart is reviewing its Rating Strategy to make sure we have a rating system that is fair for the whole City, sustainable, affordable for the community, easy to understand and supports ratepayers capacity to pay.

The rates we collect are a form of property tax. The value of a property is used to determine what each property owner pays. Rates fund essential programs, services and infrastructure for the community.

The City of Hobart has decided to change the property valuation base it uses for rating from Assessed Annual Value to Capital Value. While the Council has endorsed the change of valuation base, how the rating system is implemented is explored in an Options Paper. Community feedback is now being sought on the Options Paper.

The Options Paper:

  • Provides the community and stakeholders with information about rating
  • Addresses different rating systems including municipal charges and differential rating across different land uses (e.g. commercial, residential, industrial)
  • Proposes a number of options for how rates could be charged on different kinds of properties in the municipal area

You can download the Options Paper under the document section found on the right hand side of this page. You can also find the City's current Rates and Charges Policy in the same section.

If you would like to know more about the Rating Strategy, why we need to review it and how it will be used, you can read through the FAQs, which can be found on the right hand side of this page. You can also use the Online Q&A tool to ask us a question.


Engagement for this project was open from 29 November 2023 until 2 February 2024.



  • CLOSED: This survey has concluded.

    Options Paper Survey

    The City has developed five options for how council rates can be structured. We are now seeking community feedback on which option is the most fair and equitable distribution of rates.

    It’s important to note:

    • The options proposed don’t have any impact on the total amount of rates and charges raised by the City.
    • In all of the options some properties will pay more and some properties will pay less.
    • The Council does not favour any particular option and will make its decision after considering community and stakeholder feedback.
    • If you have your own idea on other options for how rates could be structured, we’d love to hear them. Please make a written submission and let us know.

    Thank you for taking the time to give us your feedback.

  • CLOSED: This survey has concluded.

    Written Submission Form

    Thank you for taking the time to share your suggestions and comments. Please remember that written submission should be in response to the Options Paper. Written submissions outside of the scope of this project will not be considered.

    You can enter your written submission directly in the text box or upload a file.

Page last updated: 30 Apr 2024, 03:40 PM