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About Environment Waikato
Environment Waikato is another name for the Waikato Regional Council. The council is based in Hamilton and also has offices in Taupo, Whitianga and Paeroa. Our region covers a large part of the central North Island, as well as the Coromandel Peninsula.
Environment Waikato helps protect natural resources like water, soil, air, coasts and geothermal areas. It also provides flood control and drainage services, helps manage plant and animal pests, coordinates public transport and is involved in civil defence.
Environment Waikato is the only agency charged with making sure that all of these resource use needs can be met in a sustainable way - so that resources can be used today without being compromised for the future.
More information is available below. You can also check out our Local Governance Statement.
Who pays rates to Environment Waikato?
By law, all people who pay rates to their own local council must also pay rates to their regional council (in this case, Environment Waikato). This has been the case since 1989.
How much of Environment Waikato's money comes from rates?
Our funding revenue comes from a variety of sources. About $63 million is to be collected from rates in 2008/09.
See our piechart to find out where our revenue will come from in 2008/09.
What is rate money spent on?
The graph below shows the main areas of spending for 2008/09.
How can I have my say about what Environment Waikato does?
Our planning process includes publicly notifying new plans, proposed variations or changes to existing plans. You can make a submission on any of these publicly notified plans while they are in their draft stage.
The 2008/09 Annual Plan, year three of our LTCCP, is now available.
View or download the 2006-2016 Long-Term Council Community Plan on this website, or call Environment Waikato's Freephone 0800 800 401 to request a copy.
What is the capital value of the region?
At the end of February 2008, the rateable capital value was approximately $96 billion.
How many properties are there in the region?
There are about 181,000 rateable properties in the region.
Where are most of those properties located?
Seventy-three per cent of those properties are in five districts:
- Waikato
- Waipa
- Hamilton
- Thames Coromandel
- Taupo
In general, what will most people in the region pay in Environment Waikato rates?
Your rates will vary depending on several factors, such as the size of your property, where you live, what work Environment Waikato does in your area and how your property value has changed. For this reason it is difficult to make generalisations. However, this year most people will pay less than $350 in rates to Environment Waikato.
What does Environment Waikato mean when it talks about 'most' properties?
When we talk about 'most' properties we mean all properties below the 75th percentile in any grouping.
How are my rates worked out?
As previously stated, your rates will vary depending on several factors, such as the size of your property, where you live, what work Environment Waikato does in your area and how your property value has changed.
In working out the appropriate rates for individual properties, there are a number of rates which are traditionally levied on all ratepayers. These include a general rate based on capital value, a uniform annual general charge (UAGC) and a number of targeted rates.
To find out the rates for your specific property in the 2008/09 year, please use our rates calculator. You can also compare them with your 2007/08 rates.
What does the general rate pay for?
The general rate is applied on a "capital value basis". It covers the cost of those parts of any activities of 'public benefit' where no other direct source of revenue is identified.
The general rate funds work in a number of activity areas, including:
- air, energy, climate change
- coastal
- geothermal
- inland waters
- land and soil
- waste and contaminated sites
- governance and participation.
See our corporate planning documents for more information. Find out more about the work we do.
What percentage of revenue comes from general rates?
Environment Waikato is always looking for ways to distribute our rates more fairly. In recent years, we have consciously reduced our reliance on the general rate, which is based on the capital value of property.
Instead, we have applied a number of principles that have allowed us to direct our costs where we believe they should most reasonably be. In 2000 about 33 per cent of our revenue came from the general rate, whereas today it is just 23 per cent.
What is a differential general rate?
In order to create a fairer rating system, we have shifted to differential general rates. This move is designed to help reduce one of the problems associated with a capital value based rating system.
The differential rating system works to smooth out the impact of property revaluations across the region, so ratepayers in certain districts which have just revalued are not adversely affected compared to other districts which have not yet revalued.
At the moment, district councils revalue their properties on different schedules, and these revaluation schedules are not synchronised across the region. This year Otorohanga and Taupo have revalued.
Using a differential general rate smoothes the effect of different district council revaluation schedules. We will base our rates on a three-yearly average of property value changes in each district, set at the time of preparing our LTCCP. Places where values went up will still see rate increases, but not as large as they would otherwise have been.
What is a UAGC?
A uniform annual general charge (UAGC) is a flat charge, per property, for a particular service or activity. Everyone pays the same amount.
We apply our UAGC to services that are related to people rather than property - so the charge does not change when property values increase. For example, our civil defence and emergency response work is paid for largely through the UAGC.
What is happening with targeted rates?
Under the 2008/09 Annual Plan, it is all ratepayers will continue to pay a number of targeted rates.
Unchanged from 2007/08
Changes
Catchment scheme targeted rates will vary depending on where your property is. Check the rates calculator for details.
Permitted activity monitoring rate
Under the regional plan, there are a number of activities that can be carried out without the need for a resource consent. In order to assess compliance with rules related to these activities, and the long-term impact of these activities on the environment, a new programme of work has been developed. This rate was implemented in 2006/07.
This rate remains unchanged at $39.40 per property two hectares or larger.
Questions about targeted rates
Protecting Lake Taupo
Why do I have to pay for Protecting Lake Taupo? I live in another district and, apart from the fact that our own area has problems, I don't even go near Lake Taupo or use the water from there.
Environment Waikato charges rates on a regional basis, and there are significant benefits to the region from Taupo, including economic benefits. Likewise, the costs of protecting the Coromandel Peninsula have, until now, been shared across the region.
Taxpayers from the rest of New Zealand will also be contributing because this lake is a national as well as a regional treasure.
Improved water quality in Taupo is also important because its water feeds the Waikato River. Hamiltonians and others throughout the wider Waikato catchment have a major stake in the health of the Waikato River.
Find out more about Protecting Lake Taupo.
Biosecurity
I live in an urban area and have no problem with pests. Why should I pay a biosecurity rate?
Most of the benefits from the pest control work we do are not linked to where you live. For example, controlling pests to protect biodiversity benefits everyone who values the survival of native birds and other species. Similarly, controlling agricultural pests benefits our entire regional economy. We also provide public health benefits by controlling weeds such as privet.
Natural heritage partnership programme
What do we mean when we talk about natural heritage?
We are talking about special, ecologically significant places in our region that people want to preserve for current and future generations.
What specifically will the natural heritage rate be used for?
It will give us the resources to help protect special places around our region. This might include partnerships with district councils, central government, iwi and the public. The money will be used to secure a permanent public interest in an area through leases, covenants and purchases, help the community enhance the value of the land and assist private landowners to protect special areas of significance.
Transport
Why do I have to pay passenger transport rates if I don't use the bus?
Having an efficient public transportation system in Hamilton benefits everyone. Traffic congestion costs time and money, and contributes to our air pollution problems. Environment Waikato uses the money it collects from rates to improve services in Hamilton and for planning to avoid the serious congestion problems that occur in other cities.
How does Environment Waikato decide what rating system to apply?
Under the Local Government Act, the 'benefit principle' is one factor that may be used when determining the most appropriate rating system. This means deciding which basis best reflects the services provided by the council. The council considers, and in many cases applies, targeted rates where beneficiaries are clearly defined. Uniform annual general charges (UAGC) are a tool that allow regional councils to apply a portion of the rate uniformly across ratepayers.
The council also considers factors such as:
- the benefit to the general community from activities
- whether the direct beneficiaries from an activity can be accurately determined or identified
- whether the size of the rateable property reflects the benefit received from these activities (for instance, if a rural property owner with a large land holding will gain greater benefits than an urban resident on a 600m² section)
- whether higher land value reflects greater benefit received from such activities (such as, the greater the value of an individual's land, the greater the benefit received)
- whether the value of improvements reflect the benefit received
- the impact of changing the current rating system on the burden of rates among different individual groups of ratepayers
- the degree of development of the land, which in return reflects investment in the land for either productive earning or capital gain .
How often will I get a rates invoice from Environment Waikato?
You will get one rates invoice a year, which will cover the total rates due.
Where can I pay my rates?
This is outlined on the back of your rates invoice and you can also check it out through our payment options.
Can I speak to someone about my individual rates invoice?
Yes. Please call Environment Waikato's Freephone 0800 800 401 and ask to speak to our rates team, or email rates@ew.govt.nz.
Can I pay my rates by instalment?
Yes. There are a number of different payment options outlined on the back of your rates invoice.
Where did Environment Waikato get the information about my property?
The information has come from existing information held by local district or city councils.
More information
Check out our Privacy statement to find out more about the use of ratepayer-supplied information.
Find out more about:
Contact us if you would like more details, or call our rates team on Environment Waikato's Freephone 0800 800 401 or email us on rates@ew.govt.nz. You can also write to us at:
Environment Waikato
P O Box 4010
HAMILTON EAST.