How Whitehorse Recovered $5.7M in Council Rate Arrears
Whitehorse City Council faced $11.8 million in rate arrears, an arrears trap that forced struggling households to clear last year's debt before paying this year's rates, and an infringement process where a single referral fee wiped out 88% of a $99 parking fine.
By partnering with Payble, Whitehorse introduced automated, flexible payment options for both rates and infringements on one platform. In the first year the council recovered $5.7 million in arrears, hit a 95.63% collection rate, and cut external infringement referrals by 63% in three months.
This case study breaks down how a unified, community-first approach to revenue collection delivered better cash flow for the council and real relief for ratepayers at the same time.
What You Will Learn
What you will get
How Whitehorse fixed the arrears trap by combining past debt with current rates into one achievable schedule, how unifying rates and infringements on a single platform cut collection costs, and why early intervention and flexible payment options lift both collection rates and community satisfaction.
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$5.7 million in rate arrears recovered in one year
By combining arrears with current-year rates into one manageable payment schedule, Whitehorse reduced total arrears from $11.8 million to around $6 million and achieved a 95.63% collection rate, well above the 85-90% industry average.
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63% fewer external infringement referrals in three months
Payment arrangement referrals to Fines Victoria dropped from 111 in April to 41 by July. With fewer referrals incurring the $87.60 collection fee, the council saved more than $6,000 every month in direct costs.
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4.63/5 ratepayer satisfaction and 10,000+ active accounts
Satisfaction soared to 4.63 out of 5 against a local government average of 3.1. Over 10,000 accounts now use flexible plans, and 86% of missed payments resolve without any staff intervention.
Latest Webinars
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Rate caps are rising at half the pace of inflation, infrastructure costs haven't dropped since COVID, and arrears are compounding. In this roundtable, council leaders unpack the four federal budget measures squeezing local government and the four levers councils can act on now to protect cash flow and financial sustainability.
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Council Infringements: Why 54% Go Unpaid and How to Fix It
Why 50% of every fine issued across Australia goes unpaid, and what City of Casey did to turn it around. A practical session for council finance and compliance leaders covering the economics of infringement collection, the hidden cost of referrals, and how to recover more without chasing.
