If you\u2019ve ever found yourself buried in unpaid council rates, struggling to make ends meet, Victoria\u2019s new rules might be the lifeline you\u2019ve been waiting for. With a growing number of residents unable to pay their rates, the government is stepping in to ease the burden by offering more flexible payment plans and ending the practice of snowballing interest. So, what\u2019s changing, and how could it help you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Victorian councils, which collect property rates from residents to fund local services, are now required to offer modern and flexible payment options to those struggling to keep up. This means that if you find yourself facing financial difficulty, you don\u2019t have to prove total financial ruin to access payment plans or rate deferrals anymore, explains The Age<\/a>. Instead, you only need to show that paying the full amount would cause \u201chardship\u201d to your quality of life. It\u2019s a move that aims to make it easier for people to stay on top of their bills without facing the risk of severe penalties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to the more lenient eligibility for payment deferrals, snowballing interest charges are no longer allowed. Councils had previously imposed high-interest rates on overdue payments, which could quickly spiral into unaffordable debts. But under the new rules, interest is frozen during approved deferral periods, providing people with the breathing space they need to get back on their feet. This is a huge relief, especially for families in outer suburbs where the cost of living is already high, and income isn\u2019t always enough to cover basic expenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n