Rates Financial Hardship Policy - Bayside City Council (Vic)

Council’s Financial Hardship policy provides a number of options for ratepayers who are in genuine financial hardship to help manage their rates liability. The options available to ratepayers include

• Agreeing to a payment plan that meets your needs
• The deferral of rates for 12 months with no penalty interest
• Long term deferral of rates with rates and penalty interest payable upon the transfer of ownership of the property

     Rates Hardship Policy

If you wish to apply for the deferral of rates or you're experiencing financial difficulty in paying your rates, please complete the following form: 

Financial Hardship Application Form

Port Phillip Community Group is part of the Bayside-Peninsula Financial Counselling Service.
Our financial counsellors work with people who are experiencing difficulty managing their debt.

We look at your income and expenses and may advocate to creditors such as banks and utility companies to negotiate ways to make your bills more manageable.

We can also refer you to other services that can help you, such as support for you or your family, consumer rights and legal services, family violence, or housing and homelessness services.

The Financial Counselling is only accessible through calling the free and confidential service on 1300 015 500.

Leave your name and a contact number and a Financial Counsellor will get back to you within 24 hours.

Port Phillip Community Group

Bayside Council is working to help ratepayers who are experiencing financial difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

When the pandemic commenced in April 2020 Council agreed to defer the payment of outstanding rates for those ratepayers experiencing financial hardship because of the economic impact of COVID-19 restriction.

This covered any remaining balance of rates for 2019/20 and any continuing difficulty in meeting payment of rates in 2020-2023. The assistance was by way of a rates payment deferral up to 31 May 2023 without any penalty interest being charged.

If you are unable to make payments by the stipulated due dates or have been financially impacted by COVID-19, please call the Revenue Services Team on (03) 9599 4444 to discuss your circumstances and your payment options or complete the web form below:

Please note, if impacted by COVID-19 you will be required to declare how the pandemic has impacted your ability to pay rates.

Rates Payment Arrangement