ORC chief 'sincerely sorry' for wrong rates invoices

Otago Regional Council today copped to botching rates invoices, overcharging some 900 people in Oamaru and asking thousands of ratepayers in Dunedin to stump up extra.

Otago Regional Council chief executive Richard Saunders is apologising to more than 14,700 ratepayers for two errors identified in ORC’s recent rates invoices.

“Two issues were identified with the recent rates strike that will unfortunately require us to send out amended rates invoices to affected ratepayers,” Mr Saunders says.

“We’re sincerely sorry for the inconvenience caused to ratepayers and will be amending processes

in the future to ensure there’s no repeat. The largest number of affected people (in the wider Dunedin district) will be contacted by letter shortly.”

The errors involve overcharging a new transport rate in Oamaru and undercharging ratepayers included in the Leith indirect flood protection rate.

In the wider Dunedin district there was an error in the Rating Information Database which resulted in the expanded Leith indirect flood rate being omitted from some property rate charges, Mr Saunders says.

“We’re very conscious of the financial demands being placed on ratepayers around the country at present, and I can only highlight that the majority of the undercharging for Indirect Leith flood protection rate averages between $15 to less than $20 per property.”

Mr Saunders emphasised there will be no penalty rates applied to the undercharging for the Leith indirect flood rate, and while ratepayers will be notified this month, they have until June 30, 2025 to pay.

The undercharging amounted to $219,972 rates having to be re-invoiced.

About 86 percent of those 13,789 ratepayers affected will be invoiced for less than $20 and 99 percent in total will be invoiced for less than $100.  There are 21 properties worth more than $15 million, of which five will need to pay more than $1000.

Mr Saunders says the estimated cost of re-invoicing for the rates was less than $20,000.

Ratepayers for the Leith Indirect Rate will shortly be sent a letter with their amended invoice.

The correction to the Leith Indirect rate includes contributions from properties from the districts around places including Waikouaiti, Dunedin city, Middlemarch and Hyde, Mosgiel, Taieri, Outram, Allanton and Henley.

In the Oamaru area, 972 people in Oamaru incorrectly charged the Oamaru Transport Rate, were advised by letter in October that their rates were being credited and they can either; reduce the payment amount to ORC if they had not yet paid their rates; claim a refund or use as a credit toward next year’s rates.

“Those ratepayers were offered the option to retain the credit to use next year or contact ORC if they would prefer a refund,” Mr Saunders says.

Main image (supplied): ORC chief executive Richard Saunders.