Council has responded to requests from ratepayers to receive their rate notices digitally by introducing a process whereby they can register to receive their half-yearly rate notices electronically.
Following today’s Council meeting, Mayor Mal Forman said Council had endorsed a recommendation that digital mail delivery be offered in addition to the traditional hardcopy service for rates notices and other correspondence.
“This process will take a couple of months to implement but we hope to have it ready for the next half-yearly rates billing in August. Then ratepayers will be able to access their digital notices via BPay View in their internet banking website,” Mayor Forman said.
“Once they have registered to receive their notices digitally, ratepayers will be notified by SMS and/or email that their rates notice has been delivered to their digital mailbox on their internet banking website. They can then open, view and pay their rates in one step in a similar way to which many ratepayers currently pay by BPay. The difference is that ratepayers will no longer have to physically open an envelope and enter their details to pay by BPay – BPay View will do it all for them and they’ll just have to access their internet banking and select ‘pay’.
“Digital delivery allows for greater convenience where payment is concerned. Ratepayers can pay anywhere – locally, interstate or overseas – where they have access to an internet connection via a smart phone, tablet or computer.
“Digital delivery also offers Council greater value for money. Digital post is significantly cheaper than traditional post.
“While there are many benefits involved in digital delivery, I want to assure ratepayers that they will continue to receive notices by traditional post if that is their preference.”