More than $10,000 worth of rates arrears on Maori-owned land will be written off by the Clutha District Council.
The corporate services committee last week decided total rates arrears of $11,481.50 on 21 blocks of Maori-owned land should be written off.
Staff told the committee it was hard to prove Maori land owners were earning income off their land, the only way the council can push to have outstanding rates settled.
Most of the Maori land in Clutha is native bush and in multiple ownership (exceeding 200 owners in many cases), and the council would have to take legal action against each owner separately to recover overdue rates.
The committee also recommended writing off $1304.64 in rates owed on another two blocks of abandoned land.
