Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Holiday park slams toilet pan charges

By John Cousins
Bay of Plenty Times·
17 May, 2012 01:17 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

A holiday park paying toilet pan taxes of nearly $13,000 a year says it is being unfairly treated by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council.

Omokoroa Thermal Holiday Park argued that the number of pans did not accurately reflect its usage of the sewerage system.

Solicitor Brian Jones, speaking on behalf of the park's owners, told the council on Tuesday total rates were $20,400 of which $12,700 was for its 19 toilet pans.

He compared the park's occupancy rate of 26 per cent with Omokoroa's Accacia Park Rest Home and Hospital's 99 per cent occupancy.

"The difference in actual use is readily apparent."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Mr Jones said compared with Accacia Park and Omokoroa Country Estate, the holiday park had to carry a huge rates burden which was "clearly unfair".

He said the business was finely balanced and putting up tariffs to recover the toilet pan charges would send visitors to competitors and lead to the owners losing their business. The submission to the council's 10-year plan said its council rates of $20,400 was a huge amount for a relatively small land area of 9459sq m.

Mr Jones said many in Omokoroa were concerned at how much the council spent to buy land that had not been used.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The holiday park understood that the council paid $2.9 million for the Gane property and $3.9 million for the De Forges property 3km from the hub of Omokoroa. "This was purchased in spite of the existing private commercially-zoned Cooney land with its central location. The feeling is that these costs could have been avoided and the money put towards the sewage works."

It was also understood that the council was sitting on unused land for roading and wastewater acquired at a cost of $53 million.

Mr Jones also disclosed how Accacia Park had paid only one pan charge in 2007 and 2008 on the assumption that because there was one roof, there was only one toilet under that roof. Sewage charges for Accacia Park went from $3140 in 2008 to $19,250 in 2009 when the method for calculating rates was changed. The holiday park "got no such relief" during that time, he said.

"Perhaps there should be a fiscal cap on pan charges so they are limited to a certain number of pans that can be charged for."

Western Bay Mayor Ross Paterson said other submissions had been received on pan charges. Te Puke councillor Paul Thomas said every church and hotel in the district was in the same position as the holiday park. "I agree," Mr Jones responded.

The council is to consider the submission next month.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Bay of Plenty Times

Cops claim Kiri Allan told police she wrote the law, grabbed shrubs during arrest

08 Jul 09:03 PM
Bay of Plenty Times

New sculpture for Tauranga: Artist chosen for bold six-figure CBD artwork

08 Jul 06:00 PM
Bay of Plenty Times

'It was unreal': Orca pod amazes Tauranga jetskier near Whangamatā

08 Jul 04:03 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Cops claim Kiri Allan told police she wrote the law, grabbed shrubs during arrest

Cops claim Kiri Allan told police she wrote the law, grabbed shrubs during arrest

08 Jul 09:03 PM

New police documents claim Allan refused to accept the court summons served on her.

New sculpture for Tauranga: Artist chosen for bold six-figure CBD artwork

New sculpture for Tauranga: Artist chosen for bold six-figure CBD artwork

08 Jul 06:00 PM
'It was unreal': Orca pod amazes Tauranga jetskier near Whangamatā

'It was unreal': Orca pod amazes Tauranga jetskier near Whangamatā

08 Jul 04:03 AM
BoP shooting happened at 'private dwelling', suspect still wanted

BoP shooting happened at 'private dwelling', suspect still wanted

08 Jul 01:36 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP