Rates FAQs

Rates accounts are due for payment on 20 September each year. You can pay this immediately, set up an automatic payment, or register for direct debit payments.

The Regional Council makes it easy for you to pay your rates by the due date using a method that best suits your needs. Find out about paying your rates on this page. Information on Rates Penalties is also on this page.

If you have any questions, please email us at info@hbrc.govt.nz or call us on (06) 835 9200.

Yes you can. Direct Debit is the easiest way to set up your payments as you don’t need to adjust your payment amounts each year.

You can:

• pay weekly, fortnightly or monthly, include both this year and next year's rates
• pay this year's rates in full, and start a regular payment plan now for next years rates
• pay annually on 20th September.

Yes,  you can pay at our HBRC Napier office (cash, EFTPOS, credit card). 

You can also can pay with cash or EFTPOS at the Wairoa, Central Hawke's Bay, Hastings District Council offices, and Waipukurau Library. 

We don’t have rate payment facilities at our Wairoa, Waipawa or Taradale offices.

NOTE: Cheques have now been discontinued. 

You must provide your valuation number, surname and property address to the other reference fields.  If you are paying rates for more than one property, then separate transactions are required for each property, in order for the payments to correctly auto-allocate.

If you have moved house within the last year, please ensure that you have updated the payment references in your internet banking records, so that your payment goes to the correct account.

You can set up a direct debit with us to pay your rates, either as a single deduction on 20 September each year, or by regular instalments which are calculated to clear the balance by the due date.  Under this arrangement, your payments will be reviewed and adjusted each year to ensure that your rates are paid on time, and no penalty is incurred. See our direct debit information and sign up here.

You can also set up a regular payments through internet banking, or as an automatic payment through your bank. It is your responsibility to ensure that payments are calculated to clear the full balance by the due date each year. 

The final date to pay your invoice is 20 September of each year.

Once all payments have been processed, a 10% penalty will be applied to any outstanding balance for the current rating year on 21 September.

If you have concerns that you will not be able to clear the full balance, please contact our rates team before the due date for a confidential discussion regarding payment options.

Yes. You can appeal for one penalty to be removed in a three year period. This must be due to special circumstances.

You need to submit a written application and the outstanding balance needs to be paid in full, unless you have arranged an alternative payment agreement with the rates team.

If you choose not to pay the penalty amount and do not apply for a removal of this penalty – penalty balance will remain on your account, and may be subject to further penalties.

Please note that your payments are allocated to the oldest debt first, not the instalment due. This means a payment can’t be put towards the latest rates instalment to avoid a penalty if there are older debts to pay first.

Rates are due on 20 September each year. 

A penalty of 10% will be added on 21 September on any portion of the current instalment which is outstanding.

A further 10% penalty will be added after 1 July the following year to all outstanding rates, including penalties.

Each property owner in Hawke's Bay contributes to the work of Hawke's Bay Regional Council through their rates. Our region covers Wairoa, Hastings, Napier, Central Hawke’s Bay and parts of Taupo and Rangitikei districts.

We manage natural resources on your behalf, such as water and air quality, land sustainability programmes, and coastal, wetland and habitat protection. We also manage regional programmes such as flood protection, biosecurity, transport planning, regional economic development and regional civil defence emergency management.

• Targeted rates - Most of the rates you pay are targeted rates for benefits you gain locally from specific services, such as flood control, pest management and, in Napier and Hastings, public transport and air quality.
• General rates - These pay for services provided across the entire regions, such as governance and strategic planning.
• Uniform charges - These are a set fee for specific services, such as civil defence, to all ratepayers.

If you own a property in Hawke’s Bay, your rates are split across two councils.

• Rates for your local city or district council pay for services to your property such as water, sewage, rubbish collection, as well as community facilities such as parks and sports areas, roads, libraries and public venues.

• Regional Council rates are used for managing natural resources – water, land, air and coast - and other regional functions like transport and civil defence

Many rates charges such as drainage and flood control are able to be applied geographically.  For example - flood protection activities throughout the region are funded by those properties which are directly impacted, and therefore receive the benefit.

There are other factors funded by Regional Council rates which are for the benefit of the community, and all ratepayers contribute to these – regional  civil defence emergency management, public transport, and our total mobility scheme all fall into this category.  

If you can't find the answer you're looking for on this page, please give one of our friendly rates team a call on (06) 835 9200 or you can email us at info@hbrc.govt.nz.

You can pay your rates bill at our Napier office at 159 Dalton Street, Napier.  You can also pay your rates at Wairoa District Council offices, Hastings District Council offices, Central Hawke's Bay District Council offices, and Waipukurau library - just take your account with you as the valuation number will be required as your payment reference. You can also sign up online to pay by direct debit.

Yes,  you can pay at our HBRC Napier office (cash, EFTPOS, credit card). 

You can also can pay with cash or EFTPOS at the Wairoa, Central Hawke's Bay, Hastings District Council offices, and Waipukurau Library. 

We don’t have rate payment facilities at our Wairoa, Waipawa or Taradale offices.

NOTE: Cheques have now been discontinued. 

This graph shows you what percentage of our spend comes from rates.

Hawke's Bay Regional Council is responsible for funding public transport across the region. This is funded by:

A targeted rate covering: Subsidised Passenger Transport, including total mobility (pink taxi vouchers), MyWay, and public transport planning.

A general rate covering: Regional road safety and regional land transport planning.

Ratepayers in Napier and Hastings contribute to a targeted rate on the basis the service is available.  Buses provide transport for everyone, and many people use them who don’t drive, such as the elderly and students.  

Buses help reduce air pollution by having fewer vehicles on the road and ease traffic and parking pressures. As well as the rates, fares and government subsidies fund this service and help keep fares affordable for all.

Thanks to the District Health Board, you can use the bus for free for appointments at the Hospital or Napier Health Centre – just show the bus driver your valid appointment card/letter/text.  There are stops right outside both locations.  

• All Napier or Hastings ratepayers contribute towards a programme to monitor and improve air quality.  These areas will benefit from cleaner air quality.
• If you have received Heat Smart financial assistance for upgrading home heating or insulation then the annual instalment is shown on your assessment, separately from your annual rates.

Please contact your local council to change any postal or email addresses. Your local council maintains this information on our behalf.

Hastings District Council

Napier City Council

Wairoa District Council

Central Hawke's Bay District Council

If you have received an invoice for a property that you no longer own, please contact us. This is usually a timing issue where the new ownership details were not received before our invoices were printed.

Your local council maintains the information for your property. When you advise them of any changes, our database is automatically updated.