Where your rates go

The rates you pay provide a wide range of services, facilities and infrastructure for the Ku-ring-gai community. This includes roads, footpath, drainage, sporting and recreation facilities, library and cultural services, environment and sustainability, public buildings, planning, building and public health, public place cleaning, communication, waste collection. This also includes funding of Council’s capital works program, which can be found in Council’s Delivery Program and Operational Plan.

Income from rates and charges amount to 60% of total Council revenue. The summary below shows how Council rates are allocated. The domestic waste charge funds the provision of all domestic waste services and is a separate charge on the rates notice. 

Services explained

Public place cleaning	Litter control, clearing and cleaning, street sweeping.
Customer and community relations	Strategic communication, business engagement, media, community consultation, enews, digital communication, customer service, graphic design, printing.
Environment and Sustainability	Community education, community and corporate sustainability, biodiversity monitoring and protection, environmental volunteering programs, climate change adaptation and mitigation, catchment and water management, environmental assessments and approvals.
Trees, streetscape and public lighting	Trees, landscape maintenance, roadside vegetation maintenance, public lighting (lighting of streets and footpath).
Public buildings	Council building maintenance, renewal and operation, public amenities, facility support.
Parks, ovals and sporting facilities	Parks, ovals, bushland, playgrounds, emergency management response, Rural Fire Service and SES, recreational facilities.
Planning, building and public health	Development assessments, landscape, ecological and heritage assessments; land and environment court appeals, urban and heritage planning, open space planning.
Libraries, community and cultural	Art Centre, aged services, youth, disability and volunteering services, community halls, libraries, meeting rooms, visitor experience and events, citizenship.
Roads, footpaths and drainage	Maintenance and renewal of roads, footpaths, drainage, street furniture, traffic management.
Domestic waste	Provision of all domestic waste services.