One of the ways we can reduce the size of rates increases to the whole community is by increasing the charges we make to the users of specific services. Fees and charges are user-paid services where the use of which varies based on demand. In general people have choices about the extent to which they use these services and their associated costs.

Adjustment for inflation

We have under-inflated our fees and charges over the last couple of years. To ensure that the contribution to the cost of services from fees and charges is maintained we are proposing to increase most fees by 10% in 2023/2024 for inflation. This increase is intended to catch up for the under-adjustment in the last couple of years and adjust for inflation in the upcoming year.

We are not planning to increase some fees by 10% for inflation for example where the fee is set by statute or the fee is very small and this inflation adjustment is impractical. In other cases fees have increased by more than 10% to either align with the Nelson City Council fees for the same activity, to better reflect the cost to the Council of providing the service or where there is a market level to keep pace with the market.

Read the full schedule of proposed fees and changes, or scroll down to see the fees and charges for each category.

Some of the larger fee increases are for levies in building consents, property information, corridor access requests and traffic management plan approval on roads, and burials at cemeteries.

cyclists on great taste trail

What are the key changes this year?

Are there any fees or charges that you think should be added or removed? Have your say using the form below.

The following fees and charges have been added to the schedule this year.

  • Gravel/shingle extraction fees
    • Gravel/shingle extraction fees for tributaries of the Buller River (addition of tributaries in addition to the main channel)
    • A separate (lower) gravel/single extraction fee for rivers where extraction is shown to have a particular river management or environmental benefit
  • Building consents
    • Building Warrant of Fitness (BWOF) fee for applications after the expiry date of a BWOF
  • Environmental health
    • Charge for verifying national programmes
  • Water supply
    • Introduction of a fixed charge to disconnect water supply between the property boundary and water supply main.
  • Port Tarakohe
    • Penalty fees to disincentivise non-compliance with Port rules.
  • Maritime charges
    • Navigation safety levies for all vessels over 500 gross tonnes that anchor within the Tasman Harbour Limits with the exemption of any vessel berthing at Port Nelson facilities for less than 12 hours (not applied to ships that are visiting Port Nelson within 24 hours of anchoring).
    • Trans-shipping fee (transferring goods between means of transport, such as between ships)
    • Use of Sentinel (harbour master vessel) for non-emergency work
  • Waste management
    • Hazardous waste (HAIL) rate for Eves Valley
    • Separate hazardous waste (HAIL) rates for York Valley before and after Eves Valley begins to accept HAIL waste
    • Weighbridge docket for public and commercial vehicles (when site operational constraints allow)
    • Scrap steel (sheet)
    • Car bodies and other vehicles
    • Other whiteware

The following fees and charges have been removed from the schedule this year.

  • Property information
    • File access and printout fees
    • Coupon-based system for frequent file users
  • Collingwood Holiday Park
    • Separate shoulder season rates
Richmond from top of hill

What are the proposed charges?

Are these charges too low, too high, or just right? Have your say using the form below.

boats in Waimea estuary at Mapua