Most Waitaki, Waimate and Mackenzie ratepayers will pay slightly more in rates to Environment Canterbury from tomorrow, despite the Christchurch-based regional council collecting the same total amount as this year.
Environment Canterbury (ECan) commissioners have now adopted the 2011-12 annual plan, which sets the rates, holding the total it will collect.
However, because of various factors, including the way properties are valued, ratepayers in the three southern areas of the region will see small increases of around 7% to 9.5%, according to examples provided by ECan.
One exception could be rural properties in the Waimate district.
The example given of a property with a $3.135 million capital value has a 33% increase in rates, from $1195 to $1595 for next financial year.
Other increases ranged from 7% ($207 to $222) for a Twizel residential property with a capital value of $480,000 to 9% ($173 to $188) for a Kurow residential property with a valuation of $245,000.
Commissioner David Bedford said ECan was determined to ensure that rates collected from the Canterbury community were used efficiently and on areas of greatest resource management priority.
The rates collected were 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," he said.
