Whanganui District Council give final approval to rates increase

The main purpose of Whanganui District Council's July 14 meeting was to "rubber stamp" its rates demand. Photo / Bevan Conley

Whanganui's average rates increase of 1.4 per cent has been given final sign off by district councillors.

That's been whittled down from a earlier proposed 5.2 per cent average increase in a budget which Whanganui mayor Hamish McDouall said at Tuesday's council meeting had no "nice to haves".

Councillors also approved changes to their rates postponement and remission policy, aimed to help property owners hit hard by the Covid lockdown. No one made a submission on it, and it was approved.

About 70 people have asked for this rates relief.

The rates are based on Quotable Value property valuations at June 30 this year and there are 120 more properties to rates this year.

The district's capital value has increased 42 per cent since the 2017-18 valuations, from $6.9 billion to $9.7b.

The additional rating units include 15 new Housing New Zealand properties and seven new properties in the Mill Rd/Rakau Rd industrial area.

But most of the new units are residential, with the biggest growth in the Springvale/Tawhero area - 35 units.

Other features this year are a decrease in the uniform annual general charge (UAGC), from $831 down to $700 per property, and a decrease in penalty for unpaid rates, from 10 per cent down to five per cent.

The totals payable will be up online in two weeks and notices will be posted out after August 1.

Ratepayers might want to know how much the new Whanganui Wastewater Treatment Plant is costing them, councillor Rob Vinsen said.

Five years ago every toilet in a rating unit costed $280.93.

The pan tax this year is $459.16 per toilet - a 63 per cent increase, he said.

The early figure was unusually low that year, according to Mayor Hamish McDouall. This year people would at least be paying for a facility that worked, he said.

Councillor Kate Joblin said the policy made it clear that council was mindful of the impact of Covid-19 and the difficult times for ratepayers.