As signaled earlier this year, Council has experienced delays with preparation and adoption of the Long Term Plan. This has impacted production of invoices for the second instalment of rates.
To minimise inconvenience to ratepayers, Council has changed the due date for payment of instalment 2 to 30 December 2021 instead of the usual 20 December.
To minimise inconvenience to ratepayers, Council has changed the due date for payment of instalment 2 to 30 December 2021 instead of the usual 20 December.
Instalment 1 was based on 25% of last years Mackenzie rates as well as a quarter of Environment Canterbury actual rates. The current rates invoice will show instalment 2 being a quarter of the 2021/2022 annual rates, plus any shortfall in the amount that was charged for instalment 1. Any shortfall amount will be payable along with the instalment 2.
For new assessments rated from 1 July 2021, only the Environment Canterbury Rates were included on the instalment 1 invoice, so instalment 2 will have the Mackenzie rates included for instalments 1 and 2. Council apologises for any inconvenience that this may cause.
We understand that rates can be confusing, and we're more than happy to explain in more detail. You can contact us on 0800 685 8514 or email us at info@mackenzie.govt.nz - we're here to help.
Frequently Asked Questions
Rates Invoices by Email
You can have your rates emailed to you instead of being posted out. Just email us to ask, including the email address you'd like the invoice sent to, along with your property details.
Payments by Cheque
Council does not accept cheques for payment of rates and other accounts.
Payments made from your Bank Account - Direct debits
You can pay your rates by direct debit each quarter, Contact the Council for a form to complete.
Payments made from your Bank Account - Direct credit
Fixed amount payments can be made automatically from your bank account at a frequency preferred by you. Bill payment set up by you is the most popular method. It is the ratepayers responsibility to ensure payment amounts are adjusted if required.
The equivalent of each instalment still must be met on or before the due instalment date to avoid penalty charges. If you sell your property, please remember to cancel your direct credit authority with your bank.
Telephone and internet banking
You will need to deal directly with your bank to set up this payment option. Please make sure that with each payment your property's Valuation Number is quoted. If you have more than one property, the rate instalment for each requires a separate entry on the Council's bank statement.
Common mistakes with internet banking - only pay one invoice at a time
If you pay a total amount such as the rates for multiple properties all in the one payment and the reference is for just one rate account, it will appear that you have merely paid more than one instalment on only one of your accounts. That means, it will look like you haven't paid the others and they will be treated just as if you never paid them at all. The solution is to separate your rate account payments and ensure all the details are completed.
When no reference is provided we are unable to link the payment to an account.
Changing Properties
If you sell one property and purchase another, please change your Rate Account Number when setting up a bill payment or doing a one-off payment online. If you are paying by direct debit make sure you tell the council to cancel the payment from the property that you have sold and set up a new direct debit for the new property.
Rate Rebate Scheme
The rates rebate scheme is a government assisted rebate for lower income ratepayers. It is measured on the total income of the household before tax (which includes income benefits, interest and other income such as wages).
Examples of eligibility: a single person living alone and solely on superannuation income will be eligible if their rates are above $1200.00 for the year. Married couples whose income is solely superannuation will be eligible if their rates are above $2900.00. Other ratepayers such as the self employed or those on very low levels of income may also be eligible but must produce evidence of income such as an IRD income summary or set of accounts.
Rate Arrears
If you are having trouble meeting your rates payments or have rates arrears, please contact the Council for assistance with payment options. We're here to help.