FAQs

Council’s Fees and Charges are reviewed annually to ensure they reflect the cost of services being provided and an appropriate balance is maintained in funding activities through a balance of rates and fees and charges.

Council takes into account principles of transparency, efficiency and fairness to set its Fees and Charges. These are outlined in Council’s Revenue and Financial Policy:

Council’s activities are evaluated for their costs and benefits to the community, including principles of transparency and accountability. Fees and charges are a preferred funding option for services where they are practicable. They reflect that a choice has been made to utilise community resources.

When possible to do so, user charges are the preferred option for services where there is a benefit to the individual: Council will set a charge for the user to cover the full cost of the service, or a marginal cost. In some circumstances, a market rate can be used when Council believes the charge set too high will reduce use and therefore diminish the value of the facility to the community, and impose a greater cost on ratepayers. In these cases, Council uses its judgement to set the fees at a level it believes is at an acceptable market level.

Most fees and charges have increased with inflation, which Council calculates using the BERL Local Government cost index which for 2023/2024 means an increase of between 4.2% and 4.3%. Some cost increase adjustments vary from this where costs for a particular service have increased higher than inflation, efficiencies have been made which mean the service can be delivered at a lower cost or where a review has determined costs are not being appropriately recovered or an increase would significantly impact demand for a service which has public good.

Additional charges have been created for Compliance, Monitoring and Enforcement activities for both the Building Act and Resource Management Act. This is to better reflect the cost of inspections and certification which wasn’t allowed for the initial fee and therefore encourage a fairer system for its compliant users.

Initial deposits for planning functions have been increased to reflect the likely actual cost of the application. New initial deposit figures have been created based on the mean charge of applications received over the course of 2022.

Council is proposing to increase minimum fees at the Waste Transfer Station in order to move closer to a position of recovering costs.  Minimum fees are planned to increase from $5 to $10.  

A significant proportion of the increases are required to cover the costs Council and its contractors are required to pay to cover costs of the Emissions Trading Scheme levy and Waste Disposal Levy.  Some additional increases are required to cover costs of providing the service, including the impact of inflation.

Council provides water on a commercial basis primarily to businesses and organisations which require larger volumes of water.  Council has reviewed the cost of providing this service and determined that significant increases are required to bring the fees closer to the level of recovering costs.  Presently the average fee per cubic metre Nationwide is $1.54 which is close to Council’s cost to provide the service.  Council is proposing to increase the cost from 70c to $1 per cubic metre, which will reduce the reliance on rates to provide this service.  

Price by negotiation is available on some commercial or group booking services available at venues including the Civic Theatre, Rugby Park and Splash Palace rates.

Council provides a number of housing units for older and other vulnerable people.  The rents of these units are set at a level to recover the costs of providing the units, including maintenance and replacement costs to ensure the quality of the units.  As part of this process, Council is seeking feedback from the tenants on the proposed increase which will result in increases of between $7 and $9 a week.  

Council reviews rates each year as part of the Annual Plan. Further information on this will be available shortly.

Depending on the nature of the fees and charges, Council debt and fees for individual can be paid:

• In person at the relevant facility or service, including Invercargill Public Libraries, Splash Palace, Bluff Services Centre or our public transport network or at Te Hīnaki – Civic Building, 101 Esk Street, Invercargill

• Using our online portal  icconline.icc.govt.nz for licenses, infringements and animal registration and impoundments – please note that there is a credit card online merchant service fee of 1.70% of the payment amount (subject to change).

• By bank transfer to Invercargill City Council’s bank account. Our details are BNZ bank, account number 02 0924 0019668 03

Excluding rates and water payments, other billing can be paid online.  

Submissions are due by 5pm on 6 April 2023. The easiest way is to submit online on Let’s Talk at http://letstalk.icc.govt.nz/2023-2024-feesandcharges

Alternatively, you can pick up a submission form and drop one off to the ICC Civic Administration Building in Esk Street, the Public Library or the Bluff Service Centre. You can also email the Strategy and Policy Team at policy@icc.govt.nz.

Post:       Submission – Fees and Charges                                

                Invercargill City Council

                Private Bag 90104

                Invercargill 9840

Hearings are currently set for 9 May 2023. Please indicate whether you wish to be heard in your submission.

Submissions are due by 5pm on 6 April 2023. The easiest way is to submit online on Let’s Talk at http://letstalk.icc.govt.nz/2023-2024-feesandcharges

Alternatively, you can pick up a submission form and drop one off to the ICC Civic Administration Building in Esk Street, the Public Library or the Bluff Service Centre. You can also email the Strategy and Policy Team at policy@icc.govt.nz.

Post:       Submission – Fees and Charges                                

                Invercargill City Council

                Private Bag 90104

                Invercargill 9840