We are proposing introducing a contestable business grant to assist some of the District’s ratepayers who own high-value undeveloped land that is zoned for business use and currently used for farming.
The grant would provide relief to landowners that were impacted by a 2021 change in rating policy, which saw the commercial and industrial differential applied to all business-zoned properties, including those used for farming.
The grant will be funded by ratepayers in the Commercial & Industrial and Rural sectors. This equates to an additional 1.2% general rates increase for these sectors.
Option 1 (our preferred option)
Increase Commercial & Industrial and Rural rates by 1.2% to provide temporary relief to owners of business-zoned property used for farming.
Support will be available for a maximum of three years, after which landowners will transition to full business-zone rates.
Option 2
Do not provide temporary relief to owners of business-zoned property used for farming. This would mean properties would continue to be rated within their current zoning with no relief provided.
Under this option, the additional 1.2% rate increase for Commercial & Industrial and Rural rates will not be needed to fund the proposed business-zone rates adjustment.