Change to rating for retirement villages and relocatable homes

Council has adjusted the General Rates calculation for retirement villages and relocatable/manufactured home parks, sometimes also known as land lease communities (LLCs), to bring them in line with other multi-dwelling properties. The change will be phased in over four years with the minimum rate starting at $280.30 in 2025-2026.

The change will affect around 7 properties in the region with a total of around 640 dwellings - which are home to pensioners, retirees and younger residents.

It does not impact aged care or supported living facilities.

Previous situation

Individual residents in retirement villages and relocatable/manufactured home parks do not pay General Rates directly.  Instead, Council rates the landowner - the retirement village/park operator - based on the overall land value rather than per individual dwelling built on that land.

A review of our General Rates structure identified that these types of properties currently contribute significantly less in General Rates. Some have been paying the equivalent of as little as $58 per dwelling per year.

This is far less than the minimum General Rates contribution of $1121.20 (2025-2-26) paid per dwelling by other multi-unit properties such as strata titled unit complexes (i.e. units, townhouses, villas etc).

Fair and equitable contributions

General Rates are used to fund essential services and community infrastructure – like libraries, footpaths, parks, roads and events – that benefit all of us.

Council’s position is that every dwelling should make a fair and reasonable contribution and pay at least a minimum general rate to fund this overall service base.

Adjusting our rating calculation for retirement villages and relocatable home parks brings them in line with how we rate other multi-dwelling properties.

The new ‘per-dwelling’ model will support a more equitable approach to funding the infrastructure and services that Council delivers.

Pensioner concessions

More than 97 per cent of eligible pensioners in Cairns already live in properties (i.e. detached homes, units, villas, townhouses etc) to which the minimum General Rate already applies. The standard concession is $335 per year.

There are currently 8,274 eligible pensioners receiving a concession. Where residents of retirement villages meet eligibility, they will also receive the concession that will be pro-rata over four years starting at $83.75 in 2025-2026.

About General Rates

General Rates fund Council services and infrastructure for the entire community and our city’s visitors. This includes libraries, community centres, roads, footpaths and cycleways, park maintenance and community events.

General Rates do not fund privately-owned infrastructure such as driveways, walking paths, gardens, communal swimming pools or tennis courts, security gates or street lighting inside the property boundary.The responsibility for infrastructure within the property boundary lies with the owner.