Robertson: Defaulters not paying their way

Kaipara District Council reports 73 per cent of ratepayers have paid their 2012/13 rates in full and on time, and that another 19 per cent have made part-payments. 

Of 13,919 rateable properties in the District, 8.5 per cent (1,107 properties) have not paid any rates.  

Of those properties, 570 are in Mangawhai. 

Chief Executive Steve Ruru said that as per other years, a “small percentage” of the 1,107 may have missed the due date, or may be finding it difficult to pay because of hardship or other reasons. 

Given that, he said it was difficult to estimate exactly how many people were refusing to pay this year’s rates but acknowledged it was higher than normal. 

Chair of Commissioners John Robertson said it was unfair that some people had paid their rates and that others had not. 

“Those people who are not paying their rates are simply not paying their way,” he said. “They are asking the vast majority of good people who are paying their rates, to pay for services like roads and water that everyone uses.” 

Mr Robertson said commissioners had not yet discussed what penalties might be imposed on those who had not paid their rates in time. 

Kaipara district’s commissioners have been told by Local Government Minister David Carter to enforce the rates.