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Whanganui Council Extends Rates Relief Scheme
Whanganui District Council is extending a rates remission scheme introduced after some property values sky-rocketed in 2022.
Councillors on Tuesday set an average rates increase of 13.5 percent for residential ratepayers after adopting their long-term plan for the next 10 years.
The council voted to make rates relief available again for the coming year, at 75 percent of last year’s amount.
Rates remissions were introduced last year for eligible households whose rates went up because of a dramatic rise in their property value after a district-wide revaluation in October 2022.
The scheme aimed to give those property owners time to adjust to their new rates, including looking at options like subdividing.
Those eligible for the scheme are residential property owners with a household income from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 of no more than $90,000 gross.
The ratepayer must live in the property and own no other properties. The property must not be in the process of being subdivided, and the rates increase must be mainly due to the October 2022 district revaluation rather than building work or property improvements.
The new rates remission for households affected by the 2022 property revaluations is $0.75 for every $1.00 of 2023/24 rates increase over $700, capped at $375.
Mayor Andrew Tripe said he knows there will be ratepayers who are worried about the rates increase.
He urged anyone on a low income who is concerned about paying their rates to contact the council’s rates team.
“This long-term plan won’t suit everyone but we’ve tried hard to strike a balance between keeping the rates rise as affordable as possible and investing in our incredible district not only for people now but for future generations.”
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
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