On this page: About Waikato Regional Council, Who pays rates to Waikato Regional Council?, How much of Waikato Regional Council's money comes from rates?, What is rate money spent on?, How can I have my say about what Waikato Regional Council does?, What is the capital value of the region?, How many properties are there in the region?, Where are most of those properties located?, In general, what will most people in the region pay in Waikato Regional Council rates?, What does Waikato Regional Council mean when it talks about 'most' properties?, How are my rates worked out?, What does the general rate pay for?, What is a UAGC?, What is happening with targeted rates?, Animal Health Board, Franklin Drainage, West coast. Questions about targeted rates Protecting Lake Taupo, Pest and weed (biosecurity), Natural heritage partnership programme, Transport, How does Waikato Regional Council decide what rating system to apply?, How often will I get a rates invoice from Waikato Regional Council?, Where can I pay my rates?, Can I speak to someone about my individual rates invoice?, Can I pay my rates by instalment?, Where did Waikato Regional Council get the information about my property?, More information
About Waikato Regional Council
The Waikato Regional Council is based in Hamilton and also has offices in Taupo, Whitianga and Paeroa. Our region covers a large part of the central North Island, as well as the Coromandel Peninsula.
The Waikato Regional Council helps protect natural resources like water, soil, air, coasts and geothermal areas. It also provides flood control and drainage services, helps manage plant and animal pests, coordinates public transport and is involved in civil defence.
The Waikato Regional Council is the only agency charged with making sure that all of these resource use needs can be met in a sustainable way - so that resources can be used today without being compromised for the future.
More information is available below. You can also check out our Local Governance Statement.
Who pays rates to Waikato Regional Council?
By law, all people who pay rates to their own local council must also pay rates to their regional council. This has been the case since 1989.
How much of Waikato Regional Council's money comes from rates?
Our funding revenue comes from a variety of sources. About $72,323 million is to be collected from rates in 2011/12. See the piechart below to find out where our revenue will come from in 2011/12.
What is rate money spent on?
The graph below shows the main areas of proposed expenditure for the year 2011/12. Total value = $102,832 million.
How can I have my say about what Waikato Regional Council does?
Our planning process includes publicly notifying new plans, proposed variations or changes to existing plans. You can make a submission on any of these publicly notified plans while they are in their draft stage.
The 2011/12 Annual Plan is now available. View or download the 2011/12 Annual Plan, or call the Waikato Regional Council's Freephone 0800 800 401 to request a copy.
What is the capital value of the region?f
The capital value of the region used for the 2011/12 year is $110,906 billion.
How many properties are there in the region?
There are about 190,036 rateable properties in the region.
Where are most of those properties located?
Seventy-three per cent of those properties are in five districts:
- Waikato
- Waipa
- Hamilton
- Thames Coromandel
- Taupo
In general, what will most people in the region pay in Waikato Regional Council rates?
Your rates will vary depending on several factors, such as the size of your property, where you live, what work the Waikato Regional Council does in your area and how your property value has changed. For this reason it is difficult to make generalisations. However, this year most people will pay less than $350 in rates to the Waikato Regional Council.
What does Waikato Regional Council mean when it talks about 'most' properties?
When we talk about 'most' properties we mean all properties below the 75th percentile in any grouping.
“The finalised draft plan is proposing a 2.3 per cent rates increase to existing ratepayers. This translates into an increase of less than $20 for approximately 80 per cent of ratepayers. The amount includes the 2.5 per cent increase in GST introduced nationally last October.”
How are my rates worked out?
As previously stated, your rates will vary depending on several factors, such as the size of your property, where you live, what work the Waikato Regional Council does in your area and how your property value has changed.
In working out the appropriate rates for individual properties, there are a number of rates which are traditionally levied on all ratepayers. These include a general rate based on capital value, a uniform annual general charge (UAGC) and a number of targeted rates.
To find out the rates for your specific property in the 2011/12 year, please use our rates calculator. You can also compare them with your 2010/11 rates.
What does the general rate pay for?
The general rate is applied on a "capital value basis". It covers the cost of those parts of any activities of 'public benefit' where no other direct source of revenue is identified.
The general rate funds work in a number of activity areas, including:
- regional democracy and direction
- relationships with iwi
- environmental information
- community health including air and water quality monitoring and management
- regional planning
- sustainable industries.
See our corporate planning documents for more information. Find out more about the work we do.
What is a UAGC?
A uniform annual general charge (UAGC) is a flat charge, per property, for a particular service or activity. Everyone pays the same amount.
We apply our UAGC to services that are related to people rather than property - so the charge does not change when property values increase. For example, our civil defence and emergency response work is paid for largely through the UAGC.
What is happening with targeted rates?
Under the 2011/12 Annual Plan, all ratepayers will continue to pay a number of targeted rates.
- Animal Health Board rate - the Waikato Regional Council is proposing to continue to levy, on behalf of the AHB, $770,000 a year from rural ratepayers on properties of 2 hectares and above. This levy was first adopted in the 2009/10 financial year and was reviewed last year. Feedback received by the council at that time supported continuation of this targeted rate in order to make a regional contribution to the cost of the AHB’s vector control programmes in the Waikato.
- Waikato Drainage rate - Commencement of rating for drainage districts previously managed by Waikato District Council. The transfer aims to provide for more integrated and consistent management of the drainage and flood protection works in the region, and in this instance, within the lower Waikato.
- Natural heritage rate - increased to $5.73 per property.
- Protecting Lake Taupo rate - increased to $16.78 per property.
- Passenger transport rate - increased to $38.50 per $100,000 of capital value for 2011/12, paid by those ratepayers in Hamilton.
- Regional biosecurity rate - struck on a differential basis depending on the location of the property. Overall, revenue collected via this rate has reduced $93,000. On average, the rate will be $5.85 per $100,000 of capital value per property - a decrease of 2.6 per cent.
- West coast rate - To create a specific targeted rate to contribute to integrated river and catchment work and services for the west coast.The council believes that a split between capital value and a flat per property charge is most equitable The per property rate would be about $21.63 and the capital value rate is $3.47 per $100,000 of capital value.The targeted rate pays about 35 per cent of total costs and the general rate from across the region pays 35 per cent. The remaining 30 per cent is charged to landowners who have work done directly on their land. Current services will continue at about the same level as 2010/11. Any future changes to the targeted rate would be largely determined by the community, depending on the work they would like done.
Catchment scheme targeted rates will vary depending on where your property is. Check the rates calculator for details.
Permitted activity monitoring rate
Under the regional plan, there are a number of activities that can be carried out without the need for a resource consent. In order to assess compliance with rules related to these activities, and the long-term impact of these activities on the environment, a new programme of work has been developed. This rate was implemented in 2006/07.
The 2011/12 rate is $42.74 (GST inclusive) per property 2 hectares or greater in land area.
Questions about targeted rates
Protecting Lake Taupo
Why do I have to pay for Protecting Lake Taupo? I live in another district and, apart from the fact that our own area has problems, I don't even go near Lake Taupo or use the water from there.
The Waikato Regional Council charges rates on a regional basis, and there are significant benefits to the region from Taupo, including economic benefits. Likewise, the costs of protecting the Coromandel Peninsula are shared across the region.
Taxpayers from the rest of New Zealand are also contributing because this lake is a national as well as a regional treasure.
Improved water quality in Taupo is also important because its water feeds the Waikato River. Hamiltonians and others throughout the wider Waikato catchment have a major stake in the health of the Waikato River.
Find out more about Protecting Lake Taupo.
Biosecurity
I live in an urban area and have no problem with pests. Why should I pay a biosecurity rate?
Most of the benefits from the pest control work we do are not linked to where you live. For example, controlling pests to protect biodiversity benefits everyone who values the survival of native birds and other species. Similarly, controlling agricultural pests benefits our entire regional economy. We also provide public health benefits by controlling weeds such as privet.
Natural heritage partnership programme
What do we mean when we talk about natural heritage?
We are talking about special, ecologically significant places in our region that people want to preserve for current and future generations.
What specifically will the natural heritage rate be used for?
It will give us the resources to help protect special places around our region. This might include partnerships with district councils, central government, iwi and the public. The money will be used to secure a permanent public interest in an area through leases, covenants and purchases, help the community enhance the value of the land and assist private landowners to protect special areas of significance.
Transport
Why do I have to pay passenger transport rates if I don't use the bus? Why do we have a bus service?
Having an efficient public transportation system in Hamilton benefits everyone. Traffic congestion costs time and money, and contributes to our air pollution problems. The Waikato Regional Council uses the money it collects from rates to improve services in Hamilton and for planning to avoid the serious congestion problems that occur in other cities.
I pay a passenger transport rate - I should be able to use the buses for free
The cost of running the bus is paid from three areas - central government, the ratepayer, and the user of the bus. If one of the contributions reduces, for example through the provision of free buses, then the other two contributors would have to pay more for the service.
I don't have a bus service close to me but I still have to pay a rate
The passenger transport targeted rate is assessed on all Hamilton City urban rate payers. While you may not have a bus service close enough to use, you do still benefit from the city having an effective bus service.
Why should I pay a passenger transport rate when I don't know how to catch a bus?
All the information you need to be able to catch a bus you can find at www.busit.co.nz or talk to the team at the transport centre.
All the buses I see are driving around empty - why don't we have smaller buses?
A major part of the cost of operating a bus service is the capital cost of a bus. New buses cost in excess of $300,000. Any savings by buying a smaller bus to operate in quiet times do not compensate for the capital costs of buying a bus.
I use the bus and need a bus shelter
While the Waikato Regional Council looks after the buses, infrastructure including the placement of bus stops and providing bus shelters is provided by the territorial authority. In Hamilton, this is the Hamilton City Council. Any requests for bus shelters or moving bus stops needs to be made to Hamilton City Council.
How does Waikato Regional Council decide what rating system to apply?
Under the Local Government Act, the 'benefit principle' is one factor that may be used when determining the most appropriate rating system. This means deciding which basis best reflects the services provided by the council. The council considers, and in many cases applies, targeted rates where beneficiaries are clearly defined. Uniform annual general charges (UAGC) are a tool that allow regional councils to apply a portion of the rate uniformly across ratepayers.
The council also considers factors such as:
- the benefit to the general community from activities
- whether the direct beneficiaries from an activity can be accurately determined or identified
- whether the size of the rateable property reflects the benefit received from these activities (for instance, if a rural property owner with a large land holding will gain greater benefits than an urban resident on a 600m² section)
- whether higher land value reflects greater benefit received from such activities (such as, the greater the value of an individual's land, the greater the benefit received)
- whether the value of improvements reflect the benefit received
- the impact of changing the current rating system on the burden of rates among different individual groups of ratepayers
- the degree of development of the land, which in return reflects investment in the land for either productive earning or capital gain .
How often will I get a rates invoice from Waikato Regional Council?
You will get one rates invoice a year, which will cover the total rates due.
Where can I pay my rates?
This is outlined on the back of your rates invoice and you can also check it out through our payment options.
Can I speak to someone about my individual rates invoice?
Yes. Please call the Waikato Regional Council's Freephone 0800 800 401 and ask to speak to our rates team, or email rates@waikatoregion.govt.nz.
Can I pay my rates by instalment?
Yes. There are a number of different payment options outlined on the back of your rates invoice.
Where did Waikato Regional Council get the information about my property?
The information has come from existing information held by local district or city councils.
More information
Check out our privacy statement to find out more about the use of ratepayer-supplied information.
Find out more about:
Contact us if you would like more details, or call our rates team on the Waikato Regional Council Freephone 0800 800 401 or email us on rates@waikatoregion.govt.nz. You can also write to us at:
Waikato Regional Council
Private Bag 3038
Waikato Mail Centre
Hamilton 3240