From top left: Buller District Council; Greymouth District Council; West Coast Regional Council and Westland District Council. West Coast councils are asking for more than usual, from a ratepayer base with less to give, post-Covid-19. And the West Coast Regional Council is thought to be planning an unheard of 30 percent increase. In his submission to the Westland District Council, West Coast Wildlife Centre owner Richard Benton warned the arrival of the rates bill this year could spell the end for some operators. By comparison, figures supplied by West Coast councils show that rates in the years from 2012 to 2021 rose by a minimum of 26 percent - and in some cases more than 80 percent.

Source: Otago Daily Times July 01, 2021 07:18 UTC