If you have been looking out for your next rates instalment, please be assured it is coming but there is a delay.

Council’s first rates instalment of the new financial year would usually have been sent out by now but ratepayers may have noticed it has not yet arrived.

Chief Financial Officer Geoff Blake said the delay was due to a very complex Long Term Plan (LTP) process with many issues that have needed to be considered along the way, not least of which the Marlborough Sounds roading recovery funding and higher than expected insurance premium cost increases.

“Finalising the LTP, including the required audit, is taking longer than expected due to all these complexities. The length of the delay is not yet known but the draft of the LTP is complete and it is now with the auditors who are well progressed through their work,” Mr Blake said.

“Our Council is not the only local authority in the country to find itself in this situation. At this point Council is targeting end of August for the audited LTP to be ready for adoption by full Council but that is not yet confirmed.”

As soon as the LTP is adopted Council’s rates team will prepare the rates notice which includes the first quarter of rates to be paid. Ratepayers will have 14 days to pay this once received.

“We hope to send this out to ratepayers in the first half of September but as soon as we have a date we will share this information,” Mr Blake said.

Direct debits will continue to be processed at current rates and payments will be offset against future rates. If ratepayers who do not have direct debits wish to make a payment towards their rates, to help them with their cashflow, then this can be done by internet banking or calling into Council’s Blenheim or Picton Service Centres.

To view the estimated rates for your property for the 2024-2025 rating year compared to last year go to: https://data.marlborough.govt.nz/RateReview/RatesProposed

Enter your property number which you can find on a previous rates invoice. Please note that the data used for this calculation is subject to change once the LTP is adopted by Council.

If you would like to receive your rates notice promptly following Council setting the rates for 2024-25 please sign up to receiving these by email on our website. Go to: https://data.marlborough.govt.nz/OnlineSignUp/

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