Rates FAQs

Please contact our rates team to discuss payment of rate arrears as at this stage our flexible payments arrangements can only be set up for the current instalment.

There are many ways to pay. The easiest way is to use our online payment platform, which allows you to set up and manage your payments.

You can also pay online via credit or debit card, or via online banking. Look on the back of your rates invoice, or head over to our payments page to find out more and make a payment.

Our online payment platform gives you options, whether that’s to pay your rates in a single lump sum on the due date or create a flexible payment schedule that fits your budget.

You can set up an instalment plan now, and put your account into credit. When rates invoices come out in October, your payment schedule will automatically adjust to ensure your rates are paid in full by 30 June.

See more here.

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 managing Southland’s natural, physical resources – water, 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.

Some of these costs are paid directly by users, some are funded by others, like the Government, and some are funded from your rates.

General rates are paid by everyone in the region. The general rate covers expenditure that Council considers all ratepayers should contribute to. 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 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.

A new regional rate (excluding Waiau rating district) based on capital value, replaces individual river management rates. All Southlanders benefit from a well-functioning transport network, and appropriate river management ensures that our transport network remains resilient and adaptive.

River management is one of four flood protection and control activities that are designed to maintain rivers and protect people, property, and livelihoods. The purpose of river management work is the maintenance of channel capacity for efficient flood water movement which lowers the risk to our primary flood bank assets.

Effective river management is essential for protecting both individual properties and the maintenance of operations of regional infrastructure such as roads, bridges, airports, waste and water services, and hospitals. This includes routine maintenance to ensure adequate fairway width, enhancement work to improve access and monitoring the stability and alignment of rivers through river cross-section and gravel surveys.

Murihiku Southland has an extensive network of flood protection infrastructure, but a changing climate with severe and enduring events, coupled with ageing infrastructure may result in a reduced level of protection, over time, if there is no additional investment.

This rate contributes to the mitigation of the impacts of our changing climate and flood infrastructure for the region. It supports increased flood modelling and data collection, improved capability and maintenance and investigation into alternative ways to reduce flood risk for the longer term.

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.

We can email rates and other invoices only when specifically authorised. If you would like the convenience of getting your rates invoice direct to your inbox, please head to www.es.govt.nz/email-my-rates

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.