City rate rises to vary widely

Press, 29 May 1985, Page 1

City rate rises to vary widely

Christchurch’s recent revaluation means that ratepayers in some parts of the city face much larger rate increases than others. Some ratepayers may find their bill lower than last year’s in areas where the valuation increase was less than the average. Some Christchurch City ratepayers in Merivale will pay more than 57.7 per cent extra.

The City Treasurer, Mr Robert Lineham, cited one such typical property which faces a rates bill of $l5BB, up 57.7 per cent on last year’s bill of $lOO7. A Bromley industrial property which paid $3920 last

year will get a bill for $2957, a 24.6 per cent drop. Mr Lineham said that not all properties in any one suburb would be identically affected. The City Council’s rates, which this week increased 9.5 per cent on those set last year, were made on land valuation as were the North Canterbury Catchment Board’s rates, which the council collects. Other ad hoc bodies for which the council collects based their rates and levies on capital value. This meant that some properties would face larger increases than their neighbours when the rates were worked out on a combina-

tion of values. Mr Lineham gave examples of typical properties in nine city areas to show the range of increases ratepayers might face. In Merivale, the selected property faced a rise of 57.7 per cent; in St Andrews Hill, 35 per cent; Sumner, 31 per cent; Papanui, 25.6 per cent; North Beach and Opawa, 9.6 per cent; Avondale, 7.8 per cent; and Mairehau and Spreydon, 4.4 per cent. The big variation in rate changes is a result of the five-yearly Government revaluation, completed last July. The City Council uses Government figures in determining its rates.