Win up to $1000 off your next rates bill!

Sunshine Coast ratepayers once again have the chance to win up to $1000 off their next rates bill just by signing up to receive their future rates notices by email.

Corporate Strategy and Finance Portfolio Councillor Tim Dwyer said the $1000 prize incentive was a healthy, smart, creative step to encourage ratepayers to receive their rates notices electronically, providing both convenience for the ratepayer and cost reductions for council.

“Mid-year rates notices were mailed out this week and it costs council a significant amount of money to print and then mail out rates notices to Sunshine Coast ratepayers using traditional postal services,” Cr Dwyer said.

“Moving to an online system is not only financially and environmentally cost-effective but also allows our ratepayers to receive their notices wherever they are, anywhere in the world and arrange payment in a more timely manner to ensure they don’t miss the early bird discount period.

“I encourage ratepayers who are currently receiving their rates notices in the post to visit council’s website and sign-up to MyCouncil or login to their existing MyCouncil accounts and change your preferred rates notice delivery method from post to email before August 21.

“You’ll then go into the draw to win up to $1000 off your next rates bill.”

Ditching paper rates notices in favour of email paid off for a Kureelpa couple who were the lucky winners of council’s ‘Win Your Rates’ competition earlier this year.

“We’re extremely excited to win! We’re very much in favour of minimising paper use and we’ve been receiving our council rates notices by email since 2016, enabling us to pay online which has been very handy as we like to travel a lot,” the winners said.

All ratepayers who currently receive their rates notices by email will be automatically included in the draw. Terms and conditions apply.

You’ll find a step-by-step guide to setting up your MyCouncil account and changing your preferred rates notice delivery method on council’s website at www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au. MyCouncil is an online dashboard where residents can interact with council, view their property, rates, business and animal registration details and make requests and payments.

There is a range of convenient options available for paying your rates, including BPAY, by phone on 131 816, in person at Australia Post, at one of council’s customer contact centres or by mail.

Council also has a direct debit option, which can be set up to pay rates in full by the due date, to make life easier for busy ratepayers.

To assist with online or over-the-phone payments, property owners will need their payment reference number, found on their rates notice.

Ratepayers who cannot make payment by the due date are encouraged to enter into an arrangement to pay their current rates by instalments by logging into MyCouncil or by calling council’s customer contact centre.

For rates inquiries, email council at [email protected] or phone (07) 5475 7542 between 8.15am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.