How well do you know your shire?
Apart from knowing you have to pay shire rates as a home owner, how much do you know about your council? There are 138 Local Government areas in Western Australia and they range from high-density inner-city precincts to remote communities. Generally, local governments look after recycling, rubbish collection, security, parks and community services in a defined area.
What does your shire do?
You might be surprised to learn how your rates are spent in your community. You can actually compare your council with other on the My Council website. The interactive graphs in the expenditure tab, in particular, can show you the allocation of funds in your council.
Visit your shire's website
If you haven't visited your shire’s website for a while, now might be a good time to do so. Most councils have community events, news and information for your area. You might want to follow the social channels too to engage more with your local community. You can also find out where your rates funding is spent in more detail.
Payment options
While you're on your shire's website, take a look at the payment options available to ratepayers. Many councils are now offering bill smoothing or direct debits to help space rate payments over a smaller frequency, perhaps monthly, fortnightly or even weekly. Bill smoothing can make budgeting for large bills a little easier.
