How to Apply for a Rates Reassessment

As per New Zealand’s legislative framework, kiwifruit growers have the right to apply for a reassessment of their property valuations either voluntarily or following an “extraordinary event.”

Such events that can trigger the reassessment include:

1. Major sudden flooding that damages the crops and soil, affecting the overall productivity and value of the land.
2. Significant disruptions in the kiwifruit market, such as trade barriers or changes in consumer demand, affecting the market price of the kiwifruit.
3. Disease outbreaks that target kiwifruit, leading to loss of crop yield and a subsequent decrease in the economic value of the kiwifruit licence.
4. Decommercialisation of a kiwifruit variety by Zespri, which essentially eliminates the market for that specific variety, resulting in a loss in licence value.

Each application for reassessment must be accompanied by evidence supporting the claim for loss in licence value. It’s also important to note that the reassessed value must preserve uniformity with other comparable plots of land, ensuring fairness in the reassessment process.

To aid growers in the application process, we have created a letter template. This template can be adapted to fit your specific circumstances and be sent as a letter or attached as an email. Due to potential postal delays, we highly recommend sending your application via email.

Please find below the contact details of the councils:

1. Western Bay of Plenty District Council: rates@westernbay.govt.nz
2. Ōpōtiki District Council: rates@odc.govt.nz
3. Whakatāne District Council: Rates@whakatane.govt.nz
4. Gisborne District Council: rates@gdc.govt.nz

If your council is not listed above, you can find your respective councils’ details on their website via google.

If you have any questions or need further guidance, please don’t hesitate to contact us here.

We are here to support our growers.