Official Information Requests

New figures show that around 60% of all unpaid rates written off by council belong to Māori freehold land, despite such properties representing only a small fraction of total landowners.

Some ratepayers are questioning why councils refuse to enforce recovery through the Māori Land Court, as provided for under legislation. The result, they say, is a system that treats ratepayers unequally, with ordinary property owners held fully accountable while others are effectively exempt.

With tens of thousands in rates revenue being written off each year, Mayoral canditate Steve Gibson argues it’s time for greater transparency and consistent enforcement across all land categories.

Official Information Response 1

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