New rates statements have been sent to Marlborough property owners, which introduce new quarterly instalments for the coming year. The total increase in Council rates and charges is 5.1%. This increase is lower than the 5.73% originally proposed and lower than many councils across New Zealand.

“We’re still playing catch-up with Marlborough’s growth after delaying some expenses during Covid-19, and our recent storm event demonstrated how important infrastructure spending is to our future,” said Councillor Mark Peters, Chair of the Planning, Finance and Community Committee.

“However, your share of Council’s total rates depends largely on how much your property’s valuation - mainly land value - represents of the total valuation of all land and improvements in Marlborough.”

“The price of residential property in Marlborough has increased significantly since the last revaluation. Other property types have increased to a lesser extent, with some even decreasing. Council engages Quotable Value (QV) to undertake the rating revaluations every three years. QV must undertake its work in accordance with the standards set by the Valuer General,” Councillor Peters said.

QV’s August 2020 revaluation saw residents in Blenheim have a 41% average increase in land valuation, while Picton residents saw a 50% average increase. Meanwhile, ‘Blenheim vicinity’, which includes Renwick and Spring Creek, saw an average increase of 9.64%.

“As a result, for those properties with a large increase in value, your rates increase is likely to be higher than 5.1%. Properties with low increases in value will see a lower increase and possibly even a decrease over the coming year.”

The other significant contributor to individual property rates increases is the level of investment the Council is making in water and sewerage services. These costs are recovered by targeted rates on those areas receiving Council-supplied water and sewerage treatment. This will impact Blenheim, Picton and other areas in the Council’s combined water and sewerage schemes. Properties that are not part of those schemes will not have their rates increased for this reason only.

“While this year the rates increases for a number of properties may be higher than many Marlburians are used to, the new instalments are largely based on property revaluations and increased levels of service set out in the new Long Term Plan 2021 – 2031,” Councillor Peters says.

“If you anticipate having difficulty paying your rates in the coming year, I encourage you to get in touch early to talk about a solution. There are options designed to assist, including making smaller and more frequent instalments through direct debit, talking to Council staff and agreeing to a payment plan, or applying for a Government rates rebate of up to $640.”

© Scoop Media