Rates FAQs

There are many ways to pay, including online via credit or debit card, online banking, or via direct debit. Look on the back of your rates invoice, or head over to our payments page to find out more and make a payment.

A direct debit is a formal arrangement with Environment Southland which allows us to request money from your bank to pay your rates for a specific property.

Under that agreement, we give you the flexibility to spread your annual rates instalments, paying a third on the due day in November, a third in February and the final third in May, without incurring penalty interest.

We automatically adjust the payment amounts each year to match your rates.
The arrangement continues until you cancel it, or sell the rated property, or change banks.

Direct debit agreements are property specific. If you own more than one property, you will need to enter a separate direct debit agreement for each of them you wish to put under arrangement, and each account must be current at the time of sign up to a direct debit.

An automatic payment is an arrangement between you and your bank.

You set up the payment frequency and amount to suit your budget and ask your bank to make the payments to us.

It is up to you to ensure those payments are sufficient to cover your rates in full when they are due on the last Friday in November.

If you fail to fully pay your rates with your automatic payments by the due date, you will be charged 10% penalty interest on any amount owing.

Every property owner in our region contributes to the work of Environment Southland through their rates. As your regional council, Environment Southland’s role differs from the other councils.

We are responsible for leading the management of Southland’s natural, physical resources – freshwater, land, air and the coast – on your behalf. We do this, in part, through consenting, compliance and regional planning. In addition, we have community- and science-based programmes to improve water quality, land sustainability, air quality and biodiversity.

Rates amounts are unique to each property, and are based on updated valuations from Quotable Value. We anticipate increasing values, based on information from Quotable Value, and use our equalisation process to even out any big jumps. This year the increasing property values have surged ahead of estimates in some areas. As a result, where property values have gone up substantially more than others, their rates will increase by more than the average.

The general rate covers council expenditure that benefits all ratepayers. For example, research and monitoring of Southland’s water, land, air and coast to ensure they’re managed sustainably and available for future generations to use and enjoy.

The general rate consists of two parts:

• the Uniform Annual General Charge, which is a fixed amount that is the same for every ratepayer in Southland
• a variable part, which is based on the capital value of each property

The variable part is calculated each year on the rateable value of each property, supplied by Quotable Values.

The Uniform Annual General Charge is the fixed amount of your general rate. It covers activities that benefit everyone regardless of property size or value, such as emergency management, pollution prevention, environmental education, community representation and our 24-hour environmental response service through our 0800 76 88 45 phone number.

All ratepayers contribute to the work of our biosecurity team through their annual rates. We work with people to ensure harmful species do not impact too severely on the values that give Southland a world class environment. Specifically, the biosecurity rate pays for work programmes detailed in the Southland Regional Pest Management Plan and the Southland Biosecurity Strategy .

Every property in Southland pays a land sustainability rate. This rate enables us to work with the Southland community, supporting them to take informed and brave environmental action. Our team in land management, pollution prevention, and environmental education work with rural and urban Southlanders to provide advice, and help landowners understand and navigate increasingly complex regulatory frameworks.

Most ratepayers pay a Rating District and/or Drainage Rate. The letters A-F on your rates invoice relate to the benefit that land receives. For example, land that receives a benefit from a council-managed drain will be classed as C, and the rates levied from it help to pay for the cost of maintaining that drain. Click here for a map of all stop banks, dams and drains maintained by Environment Southland.

Other categories

• expenses related to a direct benefit for a specific ratepayer are partially recovered by fees and charges – an example is resource consents, where the cost is mainly charged back to the applicant
• expenses that have an overall benefit to a group of ratepayers are recovered by way of a targeted rate, for example flood protection and drainage is recovered through a river catchment rate for areas that benefit from this service
• expenditure that benefits all ratepayers is recovered by way of a general rate.

Every rates account is unique. If you have any questions or concerns about your account, please contact our rates team on 0800 377 2837, or send us an email to rates@es.govt.nz.