The Central Otago District Council had altered its rating policy for such buildings and could now offer up to 100% remission, council corporates services manager Susan Finlay said.
''Effectively, we've taken out the percentage. It used to be [a maximum of] 30% remission but we thought we needed to be more flexible,'' she told the council meeting on Monday.
The aim was to provide for the preservation of the district's heritage by encouraging the maintenance and restoration of historic buildings.
Providing a rates remission recognised there were private costs incurred for public benefit, she said.
Owners could apply for rates remissions if the building was built before 1900 or listed on the council's register of heritage buildings and if they were committed to ongoing maintenance and provided details of the restoration project.
Water, wastewater and refuse charges were not able to be remitted under the policy, Mrs Finlay said.
The Blackstone Hill School Charitable Trust sought a rates remission for the old school building at Hills Creek.
The school was built in the 1890s and closed in 1949.
The trust said it struggled to raise funds to pay the rates and to restore the building.
Its aim was to have the building open for schools to visit and take part in a lesson from earlier times.
Mrs Finlay said the rates were about $700.
Although several councillors said this was a good case for 100% to be remitted, Cr Neil Gillespie urged caution about starting with a 100% remission.
Cr Gordon Stewart said there were three or four pages of heritage buildings listed in the district plan and there could be 300-400 eligible buildings.
''There are a lot of things about this case that are unique though, which would justify it receiving 100% remission,'' Cr Clair Higginson said.
''It's a little building used a long time ago, a long way from anywhere and if this group hadn't saved it, it might've fallen over.''
Cr Steve Battrick said a ''benchmark'' of 100% was too high and he suggested a 50%-80% remission.
The council agreed to an 80% rates remission and 50% remission for another Hills Creek stone building, being restored by its owner.
The Ray Cottage at Bannockburn, which had been restored and was used as a holiday home, received a 30% rates remission.
The Alexandra Toy Library and Alexandra Squash Club applied for rates remissions as community or sports groups and were granted 50% remissions.
