Environment Canterbury rates struck

Environment Canterbury commissioners at their recent meeting adopted the annual plan for 2011/12 and struck the regional rates for the financial year from July 1. “The total rates collected for the 2011/12 financial year will remain the same or slightly less than the amount in the current financial year,” said Commissioner David Bedford.

“The Environment Canterbury commissioners are determined to ensure that rates collected from the Canterbury community are used efficiently and on areas of greatest resource management priority.”

The rates collected by the regional council are a combination of targeted rates for specific communities and programmes, and general rates for programmes common to all Canterbury ratepayers. Many targeted rate-funded programmes are specifically requested by those communities, for example, to protect land and property in river rating districts from flooding with well maintained stopbanks and river plantings.

The council received 527 submissions from individuals and organisations on its draft annual plan for 2011/12. Submitters had the opportunity to present their material at hearings.

There was a definite focus on four specific topics where community feedback had been sought. These included ending the Clean Heat Project in Christchurch, ceasing work under the energy portfolio of activities, rating for Bovine Tb control in 2011/12 and public transport rating in the Selwyn District and Christchurch City.

Key change:
After almost eight years of assisting Christchurch homeowners to insulate and heat their homes more cleanly and efficiently, the Clean Heat Project in Christchurch will end on June 30. There is now a wide range of service providers that are well-placed to build on that success, said David Bedford.

Effects on particular properties’ rates for the coming year, 2011/12 and comparable rating values by district and city territorial authority
The council tracks a number of examples of properties throughout the region. The rating total includes the general rate and targeted rates. For expanded examples of rates and breakdown into rating categories per particular household in each district, go to http://ecan.govt.nz/news-and-notices/minutes/pages/council-agenda-meeting-23-06-2011.aspx

Please note, these figures have been updated since the agenda went out and the figures quoted below are more accurate. In Waimate District, capital revaluations have affected rates.