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Harbour Rate

The Harbour Rate is a district wide rate (all rateable properties pay), but new rating areas have been introduced, effective 1 July 2009, which means that properties in the urban area pay twice as much per dollar of capital value than semi-rural properties do, and four times as much per dollar of capital value than rural properties do.  (Click here >>>) for more information on these new rating areas.

What does the Harbour Rate pay for?

The Harbour Rate funds 50% of the net costs of operating the harbour facilities, including South Bay and the North and Old Wharves, including loan servicing costs.  The balance 50% of the net costs of harbour facilities forms part of the Commercial Rate, which is applied solely to commercial properties.

Council charges a lease to each of the commercial operators using the boat parking area to store their boats.  These lease revenues, plus commercial slipway fees and other sundry harbour revenue, essentially cover the cost of maintaining the commercial operations for the South Bay harbour facilities.  Council charges a harbour rate to cover costs pertaining to the net costs (after deducting recreational slipway fees), of the public areas such as the public jetty and slipway, and other harbour facilities such as the North Wharf (net of commercial revenues such as leases that also apply to that particular area).

See the schedule of adopted rates and charges for the value of this rate for the current rating year.