GIDGEGANNUP ratepayers received an unexpected shock last week when the City of Swan sent out interim rate notices.

Residents had already received their normal annual rates bill, which many had since paid, but according to Landgate, the city reissued approximately 500 amended rate notices of about $100 each.

In a social media post Councillor Rod Henderson moved to shift the blame to Landgate and wrote “I hear the state that sets valuations via Landgate made a mess of it. Seeing anger as there are unhappy residents. The council does not set valuations.”

This statement has been flatly rejected by Planning and Lands Minister John Carey.

“This is an error entirely of the City of Swan’s making,” Mr Carey said.

“I am advised Landgate followed its normal and longstanding process, which includes the provision of draft valuations to assist local governments with their budget processes.

“It is the same process for all local governments and has been in place for years.

“This was not an issue for other local governments this year and has not been an issue for the City of Swan in recent years,” he said.

Landgate provides annual Unimproved Values (UVs) to local governments for properties rated on a UV basis.  The unimproved value represents the value of the land only, excluding buildings, structures or other improvements. These valuations form the basis for local governments to calculate council rates.

“In early April 2025, Landgate provided the City of Swan with a draft valuations model to assist their 2025-26 budgeting process.  This long-established practice is used by all local governments across Western Australia to help them plan and model budgets, in advance of the final valuations being made available by Landgate by June 30, 2025,” a Landgate spokesperson said.

“Between April and June 30, 2025, Landgate continued its normal quality assurance process to finalise valuations.  This ensures that all UVs are accurate, consistent, and reflective of the correct value at the date of valuation.

“Landgate provided the final valuation files to the City of Swan on June 25, 2025 which saw both an increase and decrease in the final valuations of approximately 500 properties.”

The spokesperson said Landgate understood that the city incorrectly issued its 2025-26 rates notices based on the draft valuation model received in April 2025 instead of the final valuations which were issued in June 2025.

“To correct this, the city reissued approximately 500 amended rate notices. These are rural properties rated on a UV basis,” the spokesperson said.

When Echo News asked the City of Swan for a comment regarding Minister Carey’s statement that the rates error was ‘entirely of the city’s making’ a spokesperson said “The city has nothing further to add”.

City of Swan chief executive officer Stephen Cain said the adjustments reflect changes to land use, such as a vacant lot becoming developed, or upon advice of a valuation change from the Valuer General’s office.

“During the last financial year the city issued over 4000 notices, mostly related to the growth in the number of new residences,” Mr Cain said.

“The city, as with all Western Australian local governments, receives a fortnightly update of property records from Landgate for Gross Rental Value (GRV) properties and a monthly update for Unimproved Value (UV) properties. The last interim notice issue was on April 4, 2025.

“The most recent property record update from the Valuer General’s office is that they had amended UV values for 653 properties.  While these properties were spread across the city, around half were in Gidgegannup.”