City of Stonnington

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The City of Stonnington is a local government authority in Melbourne’s inner south‑east, responsible for municipal services, planning, infrastructure, and community programs across suburbs including Malvern, Prahran, South Yarra and Toorak.

Malvern, Victoria, Australia
stonnington.vic.gov.au

About City of Stonnington

The City of Stonnington is a local government authority in Melbourne’s inner south‑east, serving suburbs including Malvern, Prahran, South Yarra, Toorak, Armadale and surrounding areas. Council is responsible for municipal services such as waste and recycling, local roads and footpaths, planning and building approvals, local laws, parking management, community health and wellbeing programs, pet registration, community facilities, and leisure and arts services. Many payments to the City of Stonnington are processed centrally and may appear on your bank or card statement simply as “CITY OF STONNINGTON” or a similar description, even if the original transaction was with a specific facility (for example, a leisure centre, library, arts venue or parking service).

A charge from the City of Stonnington may appear on your statement for a wide range of reasons. Common examples include rates and charges (instalments on your property rates), parking fines and infringement notices, parking permits or residential permits, pet registration renewals, planning or building application fees, event or venue bookings, health registrations (such as food business registration), and leisure centre memberships or casual visit passes. Some services are billed as one‑off payments, while others may be set up as recurring direct debits or scheduled instalments, particularly for rates, some memberships and ongoing services. You may also see a temporary ‘pending’ or authorisation charge if you paid or set up a direct debit online and your bank is still processing the transaction.

To verify a City of Stonnington charge, first match the date and amount on your statement with any recent dealings you’ve had with Council—such as paying rates, appealing or paying a fine, renewing a permit, joining a leisure centre, or booking a venue or program. Check your email for receipts or confirmations from a stonnington.vic.gov.au address and review rate notices, infringement notices, pet registration letters or membership agreements you’ve recently received. If you still can’t identify the payment, contact Council using the details on the official website (stonnington.vic.gov.au) with the exact amount, date, and last four digits of the card used; customer service can look up the transaction, explain what it relates to, and advise on next steps such as refunds, cancelling future instalments, or correcting duplicate payments.

Bank Statement Variations

3 known variations

These are the raw merchant codes that appear on bank and credit card statements that we've identified as belonging to City of Stonnington.

  1. STONNINGTON CITY COUNC PRAHRAN AUS
  2. STONNINGTON CITY COUNC SOUTH YARRA AUS
  3. STONNINGTON CITY COUNC\9 ELIZABETH STREE

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I see a City of Stonnington charge on my card when I only remember dealing with parking or a local facility?

Many different services are billed under the central City of Stonnington merchant name, so parking fines, parking permits, leisure centre visits or memberships, venue bookings, and some online payments may all appear simply as “CITY OF STONNINGTON” on your statement. Review any recent tickets, permits, memberships or bookings issued by Council or its facilities around the same date as the transaction.

What are the most common types of charges from the City of Stonnington and typical amounts?

Common charges include quarterly or annual property rates (often several hundred to a few thousand dollars depending on property value), parking or local law infringements (typically from around $80–$200), residential or visitor parking permits, pet registrations, and planning or building application fees. Smaller transactions can also appear for leisure centre casual visits, fitness memberships, venue hire bonds and fees, and event or program registrations, which may range from under $10 for minor fees to several hundred dollars for larger bookings or assessments.

Why am I being charged regularly by the City of Stonnington— is this a subscription or instalment plan?

Regular Council charges usually relate to instalment plans you have chosen, such as quarterly property rates payments or direct debit arrangements for certain memberships or ongoing services. The frequency (for example, fortnightly, monthly, or quarterly) depends on what you agreed to on your rate notice, infringement payment plan, or membership contract. You can confirm or change your instalment or direct debit arrangements by checking your original paperwork or contacting Council via the details on stonnington.vic.gov.au.

How do I cancel or change a direct debit or recurring payment to the City of Stonnington?

If you set up a direct debit for rates, infringements, or a membership, you’ll need to request cancellation or changes before the next scheduled debit date. This is usually done by completing a direct debit alteration or cancellation form or contacting Council’s customer service or the relevant facility (such as the leisure centre) as outlined in your original agreement. Always allow a few business days for processing, and keep a copy of any confirmation email or reference number.

How can I request a refund or reverse a duplicate payment to the City of Stonnington?

Refunds are assessed according to Council’s fees and charges and refund policies, which differ depending on the type of payment (rates, fines, permits, bookings, memberships, etc.). If you believe you’ve paid twice, paid the wrong amount, or paid for a service you no longer require, contact Council promptly with your receipt, the date and amount of the transaction, and details of the account or notice you were paying. In some cases, funds may be transferred to another outstanding balance instead of refunded, and certain statutory fees or infringements may have limited scope for refunds once paid.

Why do I see a pending or small test charge from the City of Stonnington that later disappears?

When you make an online payment or set up a direct debit using a card, your bank may show a temporary authorisation or pending charge from the City of Stonnington. This is used to confirm that your card is valid and that sufficient funds are available. These authorisations are usually reversed automatically by your bank within a few business days and do not represent an additional fee from Council.

How can I confirm exactly what my City of Stonnington payment was for and get a copy of the receipt?

First, search your email (including spam folders) for messages from an @stonnington.vic.gov.au address, as most online payments generate an automatic receipt. If you can’t find one, contact Council using the phone or online contact options on stonnington.vic.gov.au and provide the transaction date, amount, and last four digits of your card or the BPAY/reference number. Staff can usually trace the payment to a specific rates account, infringement notice, permit, registration, booking, or membership and reissue or email a copy of your receipt.

I don’t live in Stonnington—why would I still have a City of Stonnington charge?

You may incur a charge even if you don’t live in the municipality, for example if you parked in Stonnington and received an infringement or paid for parking, hired a venue or sports facility, attended a paid event or program, used a leisure centre on a casual or membership basis, or operated a business that needed a permit or registration. Think about recent visits to areas like South Yarra, Prahran, Malvern or Toorak and check any parking tickets, permits, or booking confirmations from those visits against the date and amount on your statement.

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