The City of Stonnington calculates your rates by multiplying two figures:
- your property's Capital Improved Value (CIV)
- a rate in the dollar amount declared by Council.
What is the Capital Improved Value?
The CIV of a property is the value of the land plus any improvements on the land.
It's the approximate amount you could expect to be offered for the property if you put it on the market.
Who determines the Capital Improved Value?
Council valuers conduct property valuations each year. They determine the CIV used to calculate your general rate.
What is the rate in the dollar?
The rate in the dollar is an amount set by Council to fund works and services.
The 2025/26 rate in the dollar is 0.0010342.
What's an example of a rate calculation?
If we valued your property at $800,000, your general rates would be $827.36 based on the 2025/26 rate in the dollar.
The equation would look like this:
$800,000 (Capital Improved Value) X 0.0010342 (rate in the dollar) = $827.36 (general rates).
Are there charges in addition to general rates?
Yes, you will also see on your rates notice:
Annual waste charges
Your waste charge covers the costs of:
- litter management
- street sweeping
- public place litter and recycling bins
- waste education
- hard and bundled green waste services
- transfer station costs not covered by gate fees
- shared costs of processing recyclables and organics
- waste services administration.
All community members benefit directly or indirectly from these council activities.
For 2025/26, the minimum charges are:
- $362 for waste services
- $90 for food and green waste services.
Two Recycling bins are supplied at no charge.
For more information, view the Waste collection fees and charges policy 2025(PDF, 762KB).
Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund
From 1 July 2025, the Fire Services Property Levy (FSPL) will be replaced by the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund (ESVF).
It will help support a broader range of emergency services and for the first time include VICSES, Triple Zero Victoria, the State Control Centre, Forest Fire Management Victoria and Emergency Recovery Victoria, as well as the Country Fire Authority (CFA) and Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV).
This will bring Victoria’s funding arrangements for emergency services into line with most other states.
Council is not responsible for this fund or setting the amount payable however it is required to collect it on behalf of the State Government.
The levy appears on your rates notice but it is not included as Council revenue.
You can find out more about the fund on the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund website.
Property owners who already receive a municipal concession will automatically receive the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund concession.
What if I don’t agree with my property valuation?
You can lodge an objection with Council.
What do my rates pay for?
Your rates go towards all sorts of services, infrastructure and maintenance in your community.
For every $100 of your rates we spend, this is the amount we allocate to each main area we're responsible for:
- Capital works: $20.43
- Programs for families: $1.93
- Community Programs: $5.68
- Waste Services: $8.73
- Open space and environment: $5.59
- Events, public art and business support: $6.99
- Town Planning: $5.97
- Infrastructure, transport and city operations: $16.17
- Council buildings and property: $4.04
- Community sport, recreation and pools: $4.50
- Improving customer experience: $8.66
- Governance and administration: $10.52
- Public Health and Immunisation: $0.79