Rates

Approximately 49% of the City Council's income is from rates paid by residential and commercial property owners. The rates are distributed to properties according to a mixture of fixed charges and charges according to a property's land value. The rest of the City's income is from a range of user charges and central government subsidies. Ratepayers are billed on a quarterly basis. The final day for the payment of each instalment is the 20th of the second month of the three monthly billing period. If payment is not made by this date a 10% penalty is charged. Residential ratepayers on a low income can apply for a rates rebate.

2009/2010 Rates

The Waitakere City Council Long Term Council Community Plan 2009-2019 contains an increase in the Council rate requirement of 4.95% (2.97% Council controlled costs and 1.98% regional levies and external costs) for the 2009/2010 year.

The Long Term Council Community Plan 2009-2019 also contains the following changes to rates for the 2009/2010 year;

• a Uniform Annual General Charge of $720
• a Water Supply targeted rate of $1.61 per cubic meter
• a Residential Wastewater Uniform Annual Charge of $419
• the introduction of a targeted rate of $4.50 per separately used or inhabitable part of a property to fund projects associated with hosting the Rugby World Cup
• the inclusion in the General Rate for the funding of the new requirements brought about by the Auckland Regional Amenities Funding Act 2008
• the introduction of a targeted rate for the Glen Eden town centre to fund the Glen Eden Business Improvement District Association

The first rates notice of the 2009/2010 year is issued on the 1st of August.

What do you get for your rates?

From each dollar, Council spends

Waitakere City and Auckland Regional Council rates

Changes to legislation mean that from July 2003, Waitakere City Council rates will no longer include an amount collected on behalf of the Auckland Regional Council (ARC). 

Instead, the ARC will, from July 2003, send all property owners a separate rates bill.

The new Local Government (Rating) Act 2002, requires all local authorities to communicate clearly to ratepayers about how rates are spent. This is designed to help people achieve a greater understanding of how local government works and what it does. 

In the past, because the Auckland Regional Council collected rates indirectly, through your Waitakere City Council rates bill it was not easy for ratepayers to understand what they were getting for their regional rates. The only information was the amount collected for the ARC which was shown on the Waitakere City Council rates notice.

This changes under the new system. Every ratepayer in the Auckland region (from Rodney to Franklin) will receive an invoice from the ARC, together with information about how regional rates are spent 

The ARC rates notice will be sent to the region's 450,000+ ratepayers in July/August. People will be able to pay their regional rates bill in a variety of ways. Options include direct debit ; by cheque in a reply-paid envelope; by cash, cheque or EFTPOS, over the counter at any Post Shop; by internet/ telephone banking ; or by cash, cheque or EFTPOS at the ARC main offices in Pitt Street in Auckland City.

Regional rates cannot be paid for at the Waitakere City Council rates collection offices.

The rates enquiry line at the ARC is (09) 366 2000 or you can email rates@arc.govt.nz. Regional rates fact sheets can also be found on the ARC website - www.arc.govt.nz.

Rates Rebate

If you're a homeowner paying rates and on a low income you may be eligible for a rates rebate for 2009/2010.

Contact us for advice and to request an application form. Ensure you have details of your Auckland Regional Council rates.
Fill out your application form which will arrive in the post or you can collect one from Council or your local library.

Bring the completed form back and have it witnessed by allocated council staff or library staff.

We will process your application and notify you of the outcome within approximately 4 weeks.

The rebate calculation is based on your level of income vs the level of rates. Rates for Waitakere City Council, the Auckland Regional Council and your water rates bills issued between 01 April 2008 and 31 March 2009 are added together when assessing your application.

Forms available from Waitakere Central, or your local library.