Murray Bridge Council Rates Concession

Pensioner Rates Concessions in Murray Bridge

The Rural City of Murray Bridge sits about 75 kilometres east of Adelaide on the Murray River. It's the largest town in the Murraylands region, with a growing retiree population drawn by lower property prices and river lifestyle. Rates bills tend to be more moderate than metropolitan Adelaide, but they still represent a significant fixed cost for pensioners on limited incomes.

Murray Bridge does not offer a council-funded pensioner rates rebate. Your primary rates relief comes through the state ConcessionsSA programs and the statutory Seniors Rates Postponement.

State Concessions

Through ConcessionsSA, eligible pensioners and low-income homeowners can claim:

• 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. One application covers all four concessions.

CWMS Water Concessions

Some Murray Bridge properties — particularly on the outskirts and in surrounding rural areas — are connected to a Community Wastewater Management System (CWMS) rather than SA Water mains. If that's your situation, the standard water concession won't be applied automatically to your bill.

You need to manually submit your annual water and sewerage invoices to ConcessionsSA to claim the top-up concession. The 2026–27 threshold for homeowner-occupiers is $1,013.75 in total water costs. Many regional pensioners miss this because ConcessionsSA doesn't flag it unless you're on SA Water.

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

Seniors Rates Postponement

SA Seniors Card holders who own their Murray Bridge home can postpone all council rates above $500 per year under Section 182A of the Local Government Act. Murray Bridge must grant the postponement if you meet the statutory criteria.

The research report notes that Murray Bridge applies the prescribed interest rate at CADR plus the statutory margin, compounded monthly. The deferred balance remains a charge against your property until sale or transfer. For Murray Bridge pensioners with more moderate rates bills ($1,200 to $2,000), the annual deferral is smaller than in metro Adelaide, but it still frees up meaningful cash flow each quarter.

Apply to Murray Bridge's rates team with your SA Seniors Card details.

Hardship Assistance

Murray Bridge administers a Section 182 hardship policy. If you're experiencing financial difficulty, contact the council's rates department to discuss payment plans, interest waivers, or hardship remission. The council may ask you to demonstrate financial hardship and may suggest speaking to a financial counsellor.

The National Debt Helpline (1800 007 007) provides free access to accredited counsellors who can negotiate directly 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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