Adelaide Hills Council Rates Concession

Pensioner Rates Concessions in the Adelaide Hills Council

The Adelaide Hills Council covers a large area from Stirling and Crafers through to Woodside, Lobethal, Gumeracha and beyond. Property values vary widely — from premium hills homes with views down to more modest rural stock — but the council area's size means many pensioners are managing both high rates and limited access to services.

The Adelaide Hills Council does not offer a council-funded pensioner rates rebate. Your rates relief comes through the state ConcessionsSA programs and the statutory Seniors Rates Postponement.

State Concessions Through ConcessionsSA

Eligible pensioners and low-income homeowners apply through one portal for:

• Cost of Living Concession: $270.60 paid directly to your bank account (August–December)
• Energy bill concession: up to $291.27 a year
• Water and sewerage concession: water $304.12 to $484.80; sewerage up to $228.12 for homeowner-occupiers
• ESL remission: up to $46

Apply at sa.gov.au/concessions by 31 December each year.

CWMS Water Concessions for Hills Properties

Many Adelaide Hills properties are not connected to SA Water mains. If your water supply comes from a Community Wastewater Management System (CWMS), a private water carter, or a rainwater tank with a council-managed sewerage connection, you won't see the standard SA Water concession applied automatically to your bill.

Instead, you need to manually submit your annual water and sewerage invoices to ConcessionsSA to claim the top-up concession. For 2026–27, the top-up threshold is $1,013.75 for homeowner-occupiers — if your total water costs exceed that amount, you may be eligible. This step catches many hills residents out because the standard concession assumes an SA Water account, and ConcessionsSA doesn't prompt you to claim the top-up separately.

For more detail on CWMS concessions, see our post on CWMS water concessions in regional SA.

Seniors Rates Postponement

SA Seniors Card holders who own their Adelaide Hills home can postpone all council rates above $500 per year under Section 182A of the Local Government Act. The council must grant it if you meet the statutory requirements.

The deferred balance accrues compound interest at the prescribed statutory rate and remains a charge on your property until sale or transfer. For hills properties with higher rates, the annual deferral can be substantial. Weigh the compound interest cost against your expected timeframe in the property before committing.

Apply to the Adelaide Hills Council's rates team with your SA Seniors Card details.

Hardship Assistance

The Adelaide Hills Council administers a Section 182 hardship policy. Contact the council's rates team if you're in financial difficulty — they can arrange payment plans, waive interest on overdue amounts, or consider partial remission in exceptional cases.

For serious financial difficulty, the National Debt Helpline (1800 007 007) provides free counselling. An accredited counsellor can negotiate with the council on your behalf.

For a complete walkthrough of every SA concession, postponement and CWMS claim process, see our Council Rates Help for Pensioners in South Australia guide.

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