Standard (240L Recycling + 240L General)
No Waste Service (Vacant/Other)
Standard + Green Waste Bin
Group 2 (Residential House)
Group 1 (Vacant Land)
Group 3 (Units/Flats)
General Rates Component:–
Waste Service Charges:–
State Fire Levy:–
Env/Park Levies (Fixed):–
Est. Annual Total:–
Est. Quarterly Payment:–
*This calculator is an estimation tool. Actual Brisbane City Council rates may vary due to specific rate capping (limiting annual increases), specific remissions, pensioner rebates, and early payment discounts. Capping is calculated based on prior year rates which are not input here.
Understanding Your Brisbane City Council Rates
Property rates in Brisbane are calculated using a complex formula primarily based on the Rateable Value of your land, which is determined by the Queensland Valuer-General, not the market value of the house and land combined. The Brisbane City Council (BCC) uses this value, combined with your property category, to determine your financial contribution to the city's infrastructure and services.
How the Calculation Works
The total amount you see on your quarterly rate notice is made up of several distinct components:
General Rates: Calculated by multiplying your Rateable Value by a "cents in the dollar" figure determined by your rating category (e.g., Owner-Occupied vs. Residential Investment).
Waste Utility Charges: A flat service fee for the collection of general waste, recycling, and green waste bins.
State Emergency Management, Fire and Rescue Levy (EMFRL): A state government charge collected by the council on behalf of the state.
Environmental & Park Levies: Specific charges (like the Bushland Preservation Levy) used to maintain Brisbane's green spaces.
Rating Categories Explained
The "cents in the dollar" rate changes depending on how the land is used.
Category 1 (Owner-Occupied): This generally attracts the lowest rate in the dollar, as it is the primary place of residence for the owner.
Category 14 (Residential Investment): If you own a residential property but do not live in it (e.g., it is rented out), you are charged a higher rate in the dollar compared to owner-occupiers.
Category 16 (Vacant Land): Land that is zoned residential but currently has no dwelling often attracts a specific rate to encourage development or maintenance.
Rate Capping
To prevent massive price shocks when land valuations rise sharply, the Brisbane City Council applies a "Cap" on general rates. This limits the percentage by which your general rates can increase from one year to the next. For example, if your land value doubles, your rates won't necessarily double immediately; they will increase by the capped percentage (e.g., 7.5% or 10%) each year until they reach the full calculated amount.
Valuer-General Valuations
It is important to note that your rates are based on the three-year average of your land valuation. This averaging helps smooth out volatility in the property market. If your land value drops, your rates may decrease, though this depends on the minimum general rate set by the council.
function calculateBrisbaneRates() {
// 1. Get Input Values
var landValueInput = document.getElementById('landValue');
var categoryInput = document.getElementById('propertyCategory');
var wasteInput = document.getElementById('wasteService');
var fireInput = document.getElementById('fireLevy');
var landValue = parseFloat(landValueInput.value);
var category = categoryInput.value;
var wasteType = wasteInput.value;
var fireGroup = fireInput.value;
// Validation
if (isNaN(landValue) || landValue < 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid positive number for the Rateable Land Value.");
return;
}
// 2. Define Rates Constants (Approximations based on BCC recent budget data)
// Note: Cents in the Dollar figures are examples.
// e.g., 0.174 cents means $0.00174 per dollar of value.
var rateInDollar = 0;
var minGeneralRate = 0;
if (category === 'owner') {
// Approx 0.19 cents in the dollar
rateInDollar = 0.00195;
minGeneralRate = 850;
} else if (category === 'investment') {
// Higher rate for non-owner occupied, approx 0.26 cents
rateInDollar = 0.00275;
minGeneralRate = 1100;
} else if (category === 'vacant') {
// Vacant land rate
rateInDollar = 0.0045;
minGeneralRate = 1500;
}
// 3. Calculate General Rate
var generalRateTotal = landValue * rateInDollar;
// Apply Minimum Rate Floor
if (generalRateTotal < minGeneralRate) {
generalRateTotal = minGeneralRate;
}
// Note: We are not applying Capping logic here as it requires historical data of the previous year's rates.
// 4. Calculate Waste Charges (Annual)
var wasteCharge = 0;
if (wasteType === 'standard') {
wasteCharge = 390; // Approx standard service
} else if (wasteType === 'green') {
wasteCharge = 390 + 90; // Standard + Green bin
} else {
wasteCharge = 0;
}
// 5. Calculate Fire Levies (Annual)
var fireLevyCharge = 0;
// QLD Fire levy varies, approximates used below
if (fireGroup === 'group2') {
fireLevyCharge = 220; // Standard house
} else if (fireGroup === 'group3') {
fireLevyCharge = 180; // Unit
} else if (fireGroup === 'group1') {
fireLevyCharge = 90; // Vacant
}
// 6. Environmental / Fixed Levies
// Brisbane usually charges Env + Bushland levies
var envLevy = 65; // Estimated fixed cost
// 7. Total Calculation
var totalAnnual = generalRateTotal + wasteCharge + fireLevyCharge + envLevy;
var quarterly = totalAnnual / 4;
// 8. Display Results
// Helper for currency formatting
var fmt = new Intl.NumberFormat('en-AU', { style: 'currency', currency: 'AUD' });
document.getElementById('resGeneralRates').innerText = fmt.format(generalRateTotal);
document.getElementById('resWaste').innerText = fmt.format(wasteCharge);
document.getElementById('resFire').innerText = fmt.format(fireLevyCharge);
document.getElementById('resEnv').innerText = fmt.format(envLevy);
document.getElementById('resAnnualTotal').innerText = fmt.format(totalAnnual);
document.getElementById('resQuarterly').innerText = fmt.format(quarterly);
// Show results div
document.getElementById('results-area').style.display = 'block';
}