30 Jul 2020

About 56,000 ratepayers in the inner city suburbs and Banks Peninsula will get an extra two weeks to pay their first quarterly rates demand for the 2020-21 financial year.

“Normally we like to give ratepayers six weeks’ notice that their first rates payment is due. Unfortunately we haven’t been able to do that this time because the rates were only set by the Council last week,’’ says Christchurch City Council Head of Financial Management Diane Brandish.

Get your rates invoice by email

Ratepayers can opt to receive their quarterly rates invoice and assessment by email.

Signing up to get your rates is easy. All you need to do is register are ccc.govt.nz/ratesinvoice.

You will need a rates invoice with you when you fill out the form as you will need your valuation number and unique document number to register for the service.

Once you have registered, you will receive your next rates invoice by email.

“We’ve also had a technical issue over the past weekend which has caused a delay in the preparation of the rates invoices so they won’t begin to be posted out until next week.

“To be fair to those ratepayers in the inner suburbs and Banks Peninsula who will be receiving their rates invoices later than normal, we are going to give them extra time to pay.

“Provided people pay their rates by the 31 August, they won’t incur any late payment penalties,’’ Ms Brandish says.

The Council is reminding residents, businesses and organisations who are experiencing financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 crisis that they can apply for a rates payment extension.

“We know people have lost income or jobs because of the COVID-19 crisis and some are struggling to pay all their bills. If you are a property owner in that situation, you can apply for more time to pay each of your rates instalments for the 2020/21 financial year,’’ says Ms Brandish.

“You will still have to pay the full amount of your rates but you can extend the payment dates out to the end of June 2022.’’

There will be no interest charged or fee for the deferral.

“Because we don’t want a large amount of rates to become payable for you all at one time, we will ask what you can afford to pay as a regular contribution to those rates over time,’’ Ms Brandish says.

The regular contributions can start off low and increase over time.

To be eligible for a rates payment extension, ratepayers will need to show their income has fallen by at least 30 per cent due to the pandemic and that they will experience financial difficulties if they have to pay their rates on the due date.

“Before you apply, you should have applied first for other assistance where that is available from either central Government or your bank,’’ Ms Brandish says.

Learn more about how to apply for a rates payment extension.