Murrindindi Shire rates are due soon and there is now a new and easier “set and forget” way to pay your rates.
Michael Chesworth, General Manager of Corporate and Community Services at Murrindindi Shire Council said residents can now pay their rates by direct debit.
“While no one enjoys receiving bills, Council is making some changes to ensure it is as easy as possible to pay your rates. This might make it easier for people to budget for rates payments on a regular basis.
“Residents can now opt to have their rates direct debited from a bank account fortnightly. The fortnightly date is the same as the majority of pension paydays.
“You can also choose to pay monthly (on the 28th of each month) by direct debit, or by quarterly instalments which are deducted automatically on the four due dates”, Chesworth said.
“There’s also an extended payment due date of May 31 each year for people who’ve registered to pay their rates with fortnightly or monthly direct debits”.
“If you’d prefer not to use direct debit, and you’d like to pay your rates bill all at once, that payment is due by the February 15, 2018. For those paying by quarterly installments, you should have already received reminder notices for the third installment, due by February 28, 2018.
Chesworth said more details about these payment options are provided on the rates notices that were sent to all ratepayers in September last year.
“Residents can contact our team here at Council any time if they need any help or have any questions,” he said.
“Our residents told us during the ‘Have Your Say’ Campaign last year that they wanted an easier way to pay their rates, and we believe the direct debit option will help reduce the financial stress that annual bills can create.
The take-up of this new payment option has been encouraging and has been well received by a number of community members.
“I would also encourage people who may be facing financial difficulties with paying their rates to contact Council at an early stage as we can explore options to help them meet their rate payment commitments,” Chesworth said.
For more information about rates, go to www.murrindindi.vic.gov.au/rates. For queries about rates notices or direct debit options, contact Council’s Rates Department on (03)b 5772 0333 or email rates@murrindindi.vic.gov.au.
