Your rates

All property owners in Canterbury pay rates. These rates fund work to ensure we have the environment we want in Canterbury, and that together we can leave a legacy for future generations. Check out our rates FAQs for more information.

Your rates help to create the Canterbury of tomorrow

Through the work of Environment Canterbury you, as a ratepayer, are helping to ensure we have the environment we want in Canterbury, and that together we can leave a legacy for future generations

What are my rates funding?

You can use online Rates Tool to see how the different portfolios and programmes of work are funded in general terms in project view and also geographically in map view.

Rates help fund council work, along with grants and other revenue. Costs fall into six portfolios, which help us to deliver the services outlined in our Long Term Plan.

These six portfolios of work are:

• Air Quality

• Biodiversity and Biosecurity

• Climate Change, Hazards, Risk and Resilience

• Freshwater Management

• Regional Leadership

• Transport and Urban Development

How your rates are calculated

Environment Canterbury collects different types of rates.

• General rates — are charged based on the capital value of your property and location.
• Targeted rates — are charged where there is a specific benefit to the property owner. Occasionally there is a ‘targeted’ rate that is charged to everyone as the funds are targeted to a specific piece of work eg the Civil Defence Emergency Management. Rates can be targeted by service or geographical area.
• Uniform Annual General Charge (UAGC) — this is essentially a ‘general rate’ but it is the same for every property ie not based on value or location of the property.

Rates are not the only source of income for Environment Canterbury. We also receive grants from other agencies, for example the significant income from NZTA for the public transport system, and user-payers when a specific fee for a service is charged, such as bus fares. 

Setting rates

• When setting rates and fees/charges, we need to balance what is affordable for the community and who should pay for the activity, with the outcome that the activity will give the community and how quickly it needs to be achieved.
• It isn’t possible to do all the things that need doing immediately, so this balance is crucial to keeping rates affordable and activity on track. 
• As rates vary from property to property, we talk about ‘total rates revenue’ when talking about rates increases or decreases.
• This means a 4% rates increase won’t necessarily mean your individual rates will increase by 4%, this percentage applies to the total income from rates received.
• We have a policy limit on rates increases of 5.3%. The Council works hard to keep it below that or must be satisfied that the exceedance is justifiable.
• View rates for sample properties in Canterbury.

Payment of rates

The work we do is carried out in collaboration with the community and many other agencies, including the local City/District council or territorial authority, which collect your Environment Canterbury rates on our behalf.

The details for payment options, dates of payment, penalties and locations for payment are available from your City or District Council. Visit your City or District Council website for more information.

Assistance with paying your rates

Environment Canterbury's Remission/postponement policy

In certain circumstances payment of rates may be postponed or remitted (discounted).  See our Rates Postponement Policy (PDF File, 150.13KB) for more information.

The Government’s Rates Rebate Scheme

You could get a rates reduction as part of the government's rate rebate scheme, which provides rates assistance to low-income earners. You can pick up an application form at your local district or city council, or find more out about the scheme and whether you are eligible on the Government’s Rates Rebate Scheme website.