FAQs

Horizons is a completely separate organisation to your city/district council. City and district councils are responsible for community services in your area, such as road maintenance, libraries, recreation areas and land use.
 
Regional councils manage the natural resources, such as land, air and water, across several city and district council territories. We’re also responsible for emergency management, in conjunction with Civil Defence, and provide public transport services to many of our communities.
 
We’ve been sending out rates directly to ratepayers since 2002. Prior to this, Horizons rates were collected on our behalf by the city and district councils. We made the change to direct rating because we believe that you need to know more about how your money is spent.

Customers with more than five invoices can request to receive one invoice for all properties, which also means only one payment will need to be made.
 

If you’ve recently bought or sold the property, the required details may not have been forwarded to Horizons. If you’ve changed your postal address and forgotten to tell us, please let us know. We’ll then issue you with a copy or a new rates notice.

Horizons encompasses the Ruapehu, Rangitīkei, Whanganui, Manawatū, Palmerston North, Tararua and Horowhenua districts, and also some parts of the Taupō, Stratford and Waitomo districts.

Everyone who owns a property in the Horizons Region will get a rates invoice from Horizons.

Regional councils’ general rates may be made on either a land value or capital value basis. We were directed to use the capital value system by the Local Government (Manawatū-Whanganui Region) Reorganisation Order 1989, which established the Council. The Local Government Commission considered the different rating systems during the process of forming the Reorganisation Order and their decision was for the capital system.
 
Other councils in our area (and the rating system they use):
 

• Palmerston North City Council         Land Value
• Manawatū District Council               Capital Value
• Whanganui District Council              Land Value
• Horowhenua District Council            Land Value
• Tararua District Council                    Land Value
• Ruapehu District Council                  Capital Value
• Rangitīkei District Council                Capital Value
• (Part) Waitomo District Council        Capital Value
• (Part) Taupō District Council            Capital Value
• (Part) Stratford District Council        Capital Value

Each year we get an equalisation certificate from Quotable Value that shows the value of all districts as at the last re-valuation date. This information is used to equally spread the rates allocated by capital value across the districts.
 

All properties in the region are re-valued on a three-yearly cycle. If your property has been re-valued this year, the value on which your property is rated will have changed. For example if your rates were previously calculated on a capital value of $300,000, however your property has been re-valued to $327,000, then your rates will have been calculated on the $327,000 this time.

We have many payment options available, including bill payment (via online banking), automatic payments, credit card, direct debit, or at the counter of one of our offices.

Automatic payments can be set up in two ways:
 

• Request a form from our customer services team, complete it and then pass it onto your bank to set up.
• Ring us on free phone 0508 700 800 to work out how much per chosen frequency you need to pay, and then set us up as a new automatic payment through your internet banking.

You can pay by direct debit in annual, quarterly, monthly or fortnightly payments. We can send you a direct debit form or you can download one directly from our website.   
 

Scan the QR code on your invoice and you’ll be taken directly to a credit card payment facility to pay your rates. Simply open your phone or tablet’s camera and tap on the link that appears on screen. Enter the appropriate details from your rates notice, ensuring that your valuation number is correct. Press continue and you’ll then be able to enter your credit card details to make the payment. Please note, bank fees may be applicable to online credit card payments.

There is a section on the top right of your invoice with a code and website link. The website link will take you to our provider’s website, where you can sign up to receive your rates notices electronically. Follow the web link and enter your email address as well as the code from your notice. Sending notices via email, rather than via hard copy in the post, helps us create a more sustainable future.

We know rates increases aren’t ideal and we’ve worked hard to ensure the increase doesn’t exceed what was already forecast in the Long-Term Plan, particularly at a time when things such as inflation and insurance costs are high. Unfortunately, these are the things that affect Horizons too.

Horizons has a rating system that deals with most rises and falls in property values, and this works for the region as a whole. However, in areas where Capital Values rise significantly as a result of re-valuation (Palmerston North properties were re-valued in 2021), rates in those areas will increase to reflect this.

The Council has no say in this matter. Any concerns will need to be taken up with Quotable Value (QV) – the government agency that sets the rateable value of your property.

Please also note that Palmerston North City Council's general rate is determined by Land Value, as opposed to the Capital Value-based general rate we use. This difference means rate increases or decreases don't always correspond between the two councils. Horizons was directed to use a Capital Value-based system by the Local Government (Manawatū-Whanganui Region) Reorganisation Order 1989, which established our Council.

Based on the work programmes planned for the year, an additional $4.1 million in rates revenue is required for Council to continue doing its core business. This equates to an 8.1 per cent total rate increase across the region, which differs slightly to increase of 8.22 per cent planned in the 2021-31 Long-Term Plan.

Council has largely followed what was set out in the 2021-31 Long-Term Plan (LTP), keeping rates slightly lower than the 8.22% signalled in the LTP.

• Capital programmes have been rephased to take advantage of Central Government funding. This rephasing has also allowed Council to increase some budgets to account for rising costs.
• Insurance premiums have an additional budget of $250,000
• Inflation on our Passenger Transport Services of $240,000 – note that 51% of this is funded by Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency.
• $375,000 to help progress weed harvesting on Lake Horowhenua.

No. It’s important to note that the average rate increase does not mean the same for everyone’s rates. This variance is because parts of our region, such as Palmerston North, have recently seen changes in property valuations. It’s also important to note that other areas in our region may see a negative rates increase for this very same reason. Targeted rates for activities such as river management schemes and passenger transport services also mean your rates bill may differ from your neighbour’s or those in neighbouring districts.

Yes. Each year, different parts of our region go through a revaluation process. Palmerston North properties were revalued in 2022. As part of the equalisation process, which ensures that all house values in the region are based on the same valuation dataset, if you live in another part of the region you may experience a small decrease in your rates. This doesn’t mean our level of service has reduced for you.

Yes, councillors always consider affordability. However, they also recognised the Council’s need to continue doing its core business, while accommodating for increasing insurance and inflation costs.

While the prompt payment discount was introduced by Council with good intentions, it effectively rewards those ratepayers who can afford to pay in full by the due date at the expense of those who may struggle to pay their bill from time to time.

If you’re having difficulty paying your rates, we may be able to enter into a payment arrangement with you. Please contact the Horizons rates team for all payment arrangement options. If your request for a payment arrangement is successful and the payments don’t default, then a remission of penalty can be applied. Please call us on 0508 700 800 for more information.

If your household is on a low income, you might be eligible for subsidised rates through the government's rates rebate scheme. If you meet the criteria, you can apply for the rebate through your local city or district council.

Payment arrangements can be made by emailing us at rates@horizons.govt.nz or giving our friendly Customer Services team a toll-free call on 0508 700 800. Alternatively you can download and complete a direct debit form from our website and post it to us at the following address:
 
Horizons Regional Council
Private Bag 11025
Manawatū Mail Centre
Palmerston North 4442

 

if your household is on a low income, you might be eligible for subsidised rates through the government's rates rebate scheme. If you meet the criteria, you can apply for the rebate through your local city or district council. Another option to avoid having to pay all at once, or incur late payment fees, is to set up a payment plan. Get in touch with us if you’d like to discuss this option.

All property owners are required by law to pay their rates. The final day for payment for all rates is 30 September 2022. If rates are not paid in full, or a payment arrangement is not in place with Horizons, penalties will be charged on 7 October 2022. Please refer to the back of your rate notice for more information.

In previous years Council has separated the general rate from other common rates that are applied to properties based on capital value. Interest made on investments has offset the general rate so that the amount charged was zero.

In an effort to simplify your invoice, Council has decided to include the common rates in the general rate charged. This rate funds part of all of the activities that are of a public benefit, where no other direct source of funding is identified to cover the cost of the activities.

Check out our Rates Explained page to see how each rate dollar is allocated.
 

Targeted rates are for a particular activity or project that benefits specific ratepayers, for example pest plant and pest animal control. These are also referred to as ‘biodiversity rates’.

Everyone pays a Transport Rate that goes towards land transport planning and road safety. Ratepayers who have public transport and Total Mobility services available in their area contribute to this through the targeted passenger services rate.

Having a bus service available gives people without private transport an option for travel. It also means fewer cars on the road and an environmentally friendly transport solution. It can be a cost-effective way of getting to and from town or work, or between towns.

A Scheme Rate varies according to the benefit received from stop banks, pump stations, drainage systems and other flood protection facilities. The higher the risk of flooding to your property, the higher the rate you pay as you receive greater benefit from the protection facilities. If you live further from a waterway, you still pay for the benefits of flood-protected roads, shops and services, but at a lower rate.

The LMS rating system was adopted in June 2009. Since the rate has been applied, there have been a few changes to ensure we’re rating those affected fairly. These changes include:
 

• All those rural houses that receive flood protection from the LMS but where the depth of inundation in a 100-year flood would be less than 50 mm have been exempted from the HF rate.
• The Feilding urban flood protection rating boundary has been modified to include an area immediately to the North of Feilding that is presently being developed as an extension to the urban area. By being shifted into the urban category, houses in that extension area will no longer pay the HF rate, but will now pay the lesser Feilding urban (FG) rate.
• The Palmerston North urban flood protection rating boundary has been modified to include an area to the West of the City between Longburn-Rongotea/Shiriffs Road and the Mangaone Stream and between No. 1 Line and the Manawatū River. That area is rapidly developing as an extension to the present City urban area. By being shifted into the urban category, houses in that developing area will no longer pay the HF rate but will now pay the lesser Palmerston North urban (PN) rate.

This is a fixed rate applied to ratepayers who benefit from a specific type of work. It is not assessed on capital value like the general rate. Uniform annual charges include SLUI ($40.42) per Separately Used or Inhabited Part of a rating unit (SUIP) throughout the region, Tōtara Reserve our only regional park ($0.60) per Palmerston North and per Manawatū properties and environmental initiatives ($31.85) on each SUIP throughout the region.
 
Uniform = SUIP
A SUIP is a Separately Used or Inhabited Part of a rating unit and is only recognised when there is a unique valuation number for that part of the rating unit. A SUIP could be applied to a property more than once in a situation such as having multiple dwellings.

The UAGC funds a large range of activities that benefit every ratepayer equally. It is a fixed rate that is applied to every rateable property in the region. The UAGC in 2022-23 is set at $54.00 per SUIP.

Our priority areas continue to be freshwater, climate change, biodiversity, and making our data and information accessible to our communities. Much of this work includes progressing:
 

• The implementation of the National Policy Statement and National Environmental Standards for Freshwater;
• dedicated work programmes around our biodiversity iconic sitesfunding for community biodiversity projects, and working alongside landowners to care for biodiversity;
• implementing Horizons’ Climate Action Plan and advancing the regional Joint Climate Action Plan alongside our iwi and territorial local authority partners.

Horizons has certain responsibilities mandated from Central Government. Council also actively consults with our communities through the Long-term Plan and Annual Plan processes to ensure we represent the wishes of our ratepayers, and utilise ratepayers’ money in ways the community will benefit the most from.

Councillors’ contact information is available in the About section of our website.

In the current financial year there is a provision for improved bus services in Whanganui, which was signalled in our 2021-31 Long-Term Plan. $170,000 has been budgeted for these improvements, which will be funded via a targeted rate covering the Whanganui urban area. Fifty-one percent of the total cost will be funded by Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency.
 

In 2020 Central Government announced $26.9 million of climate resilience funding for Horizon. This goes toward four projects in:
 

• Foxton: enlargement and upgrades to drains, culverts and stopbanks along the eastern side of the town, and diverting floodwater away from Purcell Street and into the Whirokino network.
• Lower Manawatū: raising/rebuilding stopbanks, replacing the Kopane Bridge and constructing the Burke's Pump Station.
• Palmerston North: upgrades to current stopbanks and replacing aging assets, along with new work to enhance public access to the Manawatū River and Mangaone Stream.
• Rangitīkei: building resilience as it relates to the Rangitīkei River, specifically the reach from the Bulls Bridge to the sea.

Horizons has three Jobs for Nature projects, which include further riparian planting and stream fencing across the region to improve freshwater, fish passage remediation to enhance indigenous fish populations, and Lake Horowhenua water quality interventions. The government has given us $18.4 million towards a total cost of $27 million to deliver the three Jobs for Nature projects over the next three years. Council has committed $4.3 million in funding, with the balance of $4.3 million coming from landowner contributions.

A Long-term Plan sets the priorities for the next 10 years, as well as which rates are required each year to fund the activities proposed. This may include reviewing original proposals or adding new ones.

The management of freshwater remains a priority for Horizons, with a particular focus on implementing central government’s Essential Freshwater package. This package includes a revised National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPS-FM), new National Environmental Standards for Freshwater (NES-FW), and Resource Management Act s360 regulations for stock exclusion.
 
Horizons is referring to this work as Oranga Wai | Our Freshwater Future, which in addition to implementing the new rules and regulations gives consideration to the non-regulatory programmes we offer. We’ve already introduced many elements of the NES-FW requirements that have stringent timelines and new rules, many of which have already come into effect. The NPS-FM changes require an increase in the level of service in our policy, science, and regulatory areas to enable us to deliver a revised One Plan by 2024 (The One Plan is Horizons’ resource management planning document).
 
This increase in work equates to $752,000 or $1.16 per $100,000 of capital value in Year 1. As part of the NPS-FM we will be asking our communities and tangata whenua to help shape this policy alongside us.

Our region’s problems with hill country erosion were sorely exposed during the February 2004 storm event. In response, representatives from our region’s communities and stakeholder organisations have joined together and formed the Sustainable Land Use Initiative (SLUI), which seeks to implement whole farm plans specifically tailored to manage each area of highly erodible land. The aim is to help insure against having to recover from the effects of massive-scale hill erosion in the future. This assists in preventing the silting up of rivers downstream, helping to reduce flooding, and improving water quality.

Led by Horizons, the Manawatū River Leaders’ Accord brings together leaders from community, industry, interest groups, iwi and local government in their efforts to improve the state of the Manawatū River and its catchment. It enables groups to work in partnership with one another, sets clear goals and provides accountability around clean-up actions and activities. Horizons contributes $410,000 per year to this clean-up effort under the Manawatū River Leaders’ Accord. This is funded by ratepayers in the Manawatū Catchment. More information about this work can be found at www.manawaturiver.co.nz.

Tōtara Reserve is a regional park in the Manawatū District that sits in the foothills of the Ruahine Ranges in the Pohangina Valley. It is used by many people as a recreational area and is a valuable piece of native bush (and the only regional park) in the Horizons Region. We took over management from Manawatū District Council in 2012 and continue to enhance its forest and wildlife, and improve camping facilities, tracks and signage.

Accelerate25 is the implementation programme which has grown from the Central Government commissioned Regional Growth Study. The study identified a number of opportunities and key enablers to help realise our region’s economic potential. The aim of Accelerate25 is to grow our regional prosperity between now and 2025 and an Action Plan to unlock the opportunities. To find out more about Accelerate25 visit www.accelerate25.co.nz.

Passenger rail services, such as the Capital Connection, between the Horizons and Greater Wellington Regions is included in the transport passenger services.

Freshwater is a high priority for both central government, and our communities. The freshwater and partnership programme aims to protect and enhance water quality and aquatic habitat including through partnership with landowners, iwi and external agencies. Much of this work includes riparian planning and stream fencing, as well as repairs to fish passages.

To ensure the relevant agencies meet their requirement regarding the protection of drinking water quality, Horizons is working in consultation with local public health officers and territorial authorities to improve overall management of drinking water supplies. The cost to the ratepayer is $1.05 (GST inclusive).

It is owned by MWRC Holdings Ltd, which is owned by Horizons. Having investments allows Council to reduce our reliance on general rating revenues to fund our work programmes. Horizons’ Group has investments in shares, commercial property, and fixed-term cash. Horizons uses its 100 per cent-owned holding company MWRC Holdings Limited as a vehicle for managing several investments.

Old Man’s Beard has been identified as a particular problem by the local Rangitīkei community and as result a ‘Differentiated Uniform Annual Charge of $34.21 has been applied to properties over four hectares in size and a $8.96 charge for those under four hectares. In areas where Old Man’s Beard has become a problem we work with relevant community groups, and aim to stop it spreading further. Outside these areas we will try to eradicate it whenever it appears.

We believe it’s important that you have a clear understanding of what your rates pay for and the benefits you receive, and we’ve had feedback that more communication is desired. Every council in the country does this and it’s part of our philosophy of being transparent about what we do. We encourage you to recycle this brochure if you don’t want to keep it for future reference.

We can send you a name suppression form to complete so we can remove your details. You can also download a copy of the suppression form. This suppression needs to be applied for each year. Please note that no names or postal addresses show in the rates search tool on our website.

Please email the communications team at communications@horizons.govt.nz and someone will be in touch shortly.