The Council publishes its Long-term Council Community Plan which includes the works programme approved by the Council for the next financial year and the level of rates required to fund the programme.

The following is a brief summary of activities funded from rates, any reference to actual figures in this summary refers to the 2009/10 rates. More detail may be found in the Rating Policy or Funding Impact Statement or by contacting our Customer Services Staff.

General Rates

There are two parts to the general rates:

General rates fund the general expenses of the Council, for example, resource planning, Councillor salaries, meeting payments and expenses, Mayoral Honorarium, subscriptions and grants, inspection, civil defence, insurance, public toilets and cemeteries.

Roading Rates

The roading rates are also levied in two parts:

The difference between the two levels of fixed charge is because properties in the towns meet the cost of street lights, footpaths and kerb and channel.

The roading rates fund the cost of managing the Districts roading network including road and bridge repairs and maintenance, resealing and new sealing, road signs, road safety, planning and design, street lighting, footpaths, kerb and channel.

Community Services Rates - Parks and Reserves, Buildings and Grants

These rates are set as a fixed charge on either dwellings or commercial property. The rates are set on a differential basis with three levels of charge.

The community services rate funds the libraries, swimming pools, community buildings and parks and reserves.

The difference between the rate levied in Rangiora, Kaiapoi, Woodend, Oxford and Pegasus and the rate in the rest of the district covers the cost of maintaining neighbourhood reserves in the five main towns.

Pegasus Services Charge

The Pegasus Service Charge is a fixed charge on each dwelling or on each commerical property in the town of Pegasus.

This rate is in addition to the Community Services - Parks and Reserves. Buildings and Grants rate and pays for the higher level of service provided in relation to the number of trees in the town and a 25 % contribution towards the operating cost of the kidszone playground facility.

Community Libraries and Museums Charge

This uniform rate is levied as a fixed charge on each dwelling or on each commerical property in the district.

It funds the net cost (after income from other sources) of operating the district libraries and local museums.

Canterbury Swimming Pool Rate

The Community Swimming Pools Rate funds the net cost (after income from other sources) of operating the district swimming pools.

This rate is levied as a fixed charge on each dwelling or on each commercial property in the district.

Dudley Park Aquatic Centre Rate

This rate meets the local community share of funding the construction of the Dudley Park Aquatic Centre at Dudley Park, Rangiora.

The Dudley Park Aquatic Centre rate is collected as a fixed charge on each dwelling or commercial property located either wholly or in part within the defined Dudley Park Aquatic Centre Rating Area.

Canterbury Museum Rates

The Canterbury Museum operational rate funds this Councils share of the annual operating cost of the Canterbury Museum.

This is levied by fixed charge over the whole of the district on the same basis as the community services rates ie. on dwellings and commercial property.

Rural Fire Control Rates

This rate is charged on a differential basis on the rateable land value of all properties. 10% of the funding requirement is met by properties inside the boundaries of the five urban fire districts of Rangiora, Kaiapoi, Woodend, Oxford and Cust and the remaining 90% share is paid by properties outside the urban fire districts.

The rural fire control rates fund the cost of rural fire control including training, equipment and maintaining preparedness for fighting fires. The cost of fighting any fire is recovered from the person who lit the fire where possible.

Animal Control Rates

Animal control rates are charged as a rate in the dollar on rateable land value on all rating units in the Residential 4A Residential 4B and Rural zones.

The rates fund the cost of control of stock (other than dogs) that cannot be recovered through impounding fees and other sources.

Community Ward Rates

The community ward rates are charged as a rate in the dollar on rateable land value on all rating units. A different rate is charged in each ward based on the ward boundaries in effect at the start of each rating year.

 Each of the four electoral wards meets the cost of its own Community Board (Kaiapoi) or Ward Advisory Board (Rangiora, Woodend-Ashley and Oxford-Eyre), and these costs are funded by the community ward rate.

CBD Area Maintenance & Street Works Rates

These rates are levied as a rate in the dollar on land value on rating units located in the Central Business Districts of Rangiora and Kaiapoi. A seperate rate is charged for each town. Each town has a defined Central Business District and these rates are levied on properties within these areas that are predominantly used for commercial purposes.

The CBD Area Maintenance & Street Works rates fund the cost of the higher level of service provided for in the business areas, eg. additional street cleaning, rubbish collection, landscaping, car parking, ornamental lighting, garden maintenance.
This rate does not fund promotional activities.

Promotion & Economic Development Rate

This rate is charged as a rate in the dollar on land value on rating units throughout the district that are used predominantly for commercial purposes.

The Promotion & Economic Development Rate funds 50% of the cost of promotion activities and 50% the cost of Economic Development. The other half of these activities is funded by the general rate.

Kerbside Refuse and Recycling Collection

This rate is a fixed charge on all rating units, or separately used and inhabited parts of rating unit to which the household and commercial refuse collection and recycling service is available. The service is not provided to bare land.

A seperate rate is levied on a group of properties in Ohoka that receive the recycling service only.

Kerbside refuse and recycling collection rates fund the net cost of the household and commercial refuse and recycling collection and disposal.

Water Rates

Water rates are charged on each rating unit and on separately used or inhabited parts of a rating unit that have a connection to a Council water supply. The amount of the rate and method of charging depends on which scheme the property is connected to.

Water rates fund the cost of operating the individual schemes for the supply and treatment of drinking water.

Water Race Rates

Water race rates are charged on properties that have access to the Waimakariri Stock water races and are a combination of a differential fixed charge per property (based on the land area) together with a rate per hectare of land area.

Sewerage Rates

Sewer rates are changed as a rate on each water closet or urinal in the Eastern Districts sewer area (includes Rangiora, Kaiapoi, Woodend, Waikuku Beach, Woodend Beach, Tuahiwi, Pines Kairaki, and Pegasus), and as a fixed charge per rating unit in the other schemes.

Where the charge is based on the number of pans a scale of charges exists to provide relief to multiple users.

Sewer rates fund the operating costs and loan charges for the sewerage collection, treatment and disposal facilities.

Loan Rates

Loan rates are payable for the Oxford sewer to meet loan repayments for capital works. This is charged on properties where ratepayers did not elect to pay a lump sum contribution in terms of Part IV of the Rating Powers Act (or in subsequent lump sum elections), and is charged in conjunction with the Oxford sewer operating rate.

Loan rates are payable in the Southbrook Services Extension Stage 1 area, on properties where a lump sum contribution has not been paid, to meet repayments on a loan raised to extend the Eastern Districts Sewer into this area. The loan rates are payable in addition to the Eastern Districts Sewer rate where the property is connected to the sewer.

Land Drainage

The Council has six rural drainage districts and the rates are collected by either a fixed charge, rate in the dollar on land value or rate on land area, or a combination of these depending on which area the property is situated.

These rates fund provision of capital works, the repayment of loans and operation of the rural drainage networks which provide protection from flooding.

Urban Stormwater Drainage

Urban drainage rates are charged on all properties in the Rangiora, Kaiapoi, Oxford, Pegasus and Coastal Urban (Woodend, Waikuku Beach and Pines Kairaki) urban drainage districts. These rates are levied as a rate in the dollar on rateable land value.

Rates in the Rural-Residential drainage district at Loburn Lea are levied as a rate in the dollar on land value.

Stormwater rates fund the provision of capital works, the repayment of loans and operation of the urban stormwater drainage networks which provide protection from flooding.

Madeleys Road Upgrading & Sealing Rate

This rate is levied on properties that are subject to an agreement between the Council and property owners to upgrade and seal Madeleys Road.

Oxford Sewer Lump Sum Contributions

Levied on properties in the Oxford sewer area where the ratepayer has elected to make a lump sum contribution to repay the Oxford sewer loans. Lump sums are charged by separate invoice and must be paid in one amount in August.

Southbrook Services Extension Stage 1 Lump Sum Contributions

Levied on properties in the Southbrook Services Extension area where the ratepayer has elected to make a lump sum contribution to repay the Southbrook Services Extension Loan. Lump sums are charged by separate invoice and must be paid in one amount in August.

Hurunui Water Supply

Some properties North of the Ashley River (Sefton/Ashley/Loburn areas) are connected to the Ashley Rural Water Scheme administered by the Hurunui District Council. A separate rates assessment for water charges is sent out by the Hurunui District Council.

Differential Rates

Differential rates are where the rates for a specific function made and levied in respect of any one or more categories of property vary from the rates made and levied in respect of another category of property for the same function.

Full descriptions of categories for differential rating and the relationships between categories are contained in the Funding Impact Statement in the Long-term Council Community Plan.