Rates Factors Explained

Find out how we calculate the rates you pay, and what services they are paying for.

Click here to find out where your rates go.

The Council publishes its Long Term 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 2019/20 rates including GST at the prevailing rate. More detail may be found in the Revenue and Financing Policy or Funding Impact Statement or by contacting our Customer Services staff.

General rates

There are two parts to the general rates:

a uniform annual general charge of $120.00 on each rating unit
a rate in the dollar on the rateable capital value of each property.

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:

a fixed charge of $100.58
a rate in the dollar on the rateable capital value of each property.

The roading rates fund the cost of managing the district's 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.

Earthquake recovery rate

This is a targeted rate on each rating unit to fund the costs of a loan raised to meet earthquake repair costs to Council property and infrastructure and earthquake recovery costs.

Community services rates - parks and reserves, buildings and grants

These rates are set as a fixed charge on land used for residential or commercial purposes. The rates are set on a differential basis with three levels of charge.

In Rangiora, Kaiapoi, Woodend, Oxford and Pegasus, a rate of $498.80 is levied on each separately used or inhabited part of a property and on each commercial property
The areas outside Rangiora, Kaiapoi, Woodend, Oxford and Pegasus pay a rate of $440.10 on each separately used or inhabited part of a property and on each commercial property
In Rangiora, Kaiapoi, Woodend, Oxford and Pegasus, a rate of $58.70 is levied on each vacant section.

The community parks and reserves, buildings and grants rate funds the community buildings and parks and reserves, local museums and Council grants to community organisations.

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 rate

The Pegasus services charge is a fixed charge on each rating unit 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.

Community libraries and museums rate

This is levied as a fixed charge on each rating unit in the district. It funds the net cost (after income from other sources) of operating the district libraries and local museums.

Community 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.

Canterbury Museum rates

The Canterbury Museum operational rate funds this Council's 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, i.e. on dwellings and commercial property. The Canterbury Museum Redevelopment Levy Rate funds the upgrading programme at the Canterbury Museum.

Animal control rates

Animal control rates are charged as a rate in the dollar on rateable capital 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 board rates

The community board rates are charged as a combination of a fixed charge on each rating unit and a rate in the dollar on rateable capital value on all rating units. A different rate is charged in each community board area based on the boundaries in effect at the start of each rating year.

Each of the four boards meets the cost of its own community board, and these costs are funded by the community board rates.

CBD area maintenance and street works rates

These rates are levied as a rate in the dollar on capital value on rating units located in the Central Business Districts of Rangiora and Kaiapoi. A separate 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 used for business purposes.

The CBD area maintenance and street works rates fund part of the cost of the higher level of service provided for in the business areas, e.g. additional street cleaning, rubbish collection, landscaping, car parking, ornamental lighting, garden maintenance. This rate does not fund promotional activities.

Promotion and 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 for business purposes. The promotion and economic development rate funds 20% of the cost of promotion activities and 20% of the cost of economic development. The balance of these activities is funded by the general rate.

Kerbside rubbish and recycling collection

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

Rubbish and Organics Bin Rates

An optional rubbish and organics bin collection is available within the kerbside collection areas. (The organics collection is not available in Ohoka/Swannanoa/Mandeville.) Fixed charges based on the size of the bin and the service selected are set on all rating units where the property owner has chosen to join the service.

These rates are in addition to the kerbside rubbish and recycling collection rate.

Water rates

Water rates are charged on each rating unit, separately used or inhabited parts of a rating unit, or by unit of water on rating units 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 UV Treatment Rate

This is a fixed charge on every rating unit that is connected to a Council water supply.

This rate is funding the installation of UV treatment at all Council water supplies to improve the water quality by inactivating any harmful microorganisms. UV disinfection is a non-chemical process that does not leave any residue in the water. It does not affect the taste, odour or clarity of water.

Water race rates

Water race rates are charged on properties that have access to the Waimakariri stockwater 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 charged 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, Pegasus, Mandeville, Swannanoa, Ohoka Meadows and Ohoka Utilities), and as a fixed charge per rating unit in the other schemes. Where the charge is based on the number of pans a remission policy 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 set to meet loan repayments for capital works. Often when capital works are taking place, ratepayers get the opportunity to pay their property's share of the capital works cost by lump sum contribution. Loan rates are payable where lump sum contributions have not been paid.

Currently loan rates are set for:

Fernside water
Southbrook services extension stage 1
Tuahiwi water
Thongcaster Road and Browns Rock Road seal extension
Eastern districts sewer - Ohoka Utilities properties.
Barkers Road seal extension

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.

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

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. 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.

A differential rate exists in the Kaiapoi Urban Drainage area where properties in the island Road rural extension pay a lower rate.

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 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 Annual Plan.

Properties that have more than one use, or where there is doubt on the relevant primary use, will be placed in a category with the highest differential factor. Subject to the rights of objection in the rating information database set out in section 29 of the Local Government (Rating) Act 2002, the Council is the sole determiner of the categories.