Southland
Tuatapere property owners on the Southland District Council sewerage scheme will receive a refund from Council.
Chief financial officer Anne Robson said the $1060 (GST inclusive) refund will go to all Tuatapere properties which connected to the sewerage scheme when it was built in 2008-2009.
Property owners at the time paid $6,300 (GST inclusive) towards the cost of the scheme.
The surplus is because more properties connected to the scheme than first anticipated and the total project cost was lower than expected ($5.53 million budgeted v $5.3 million actual), Ms Robson said.
The scheme was funded by the ratepayers, Council and subsidies from the Ministry of Health and, with all costs complete, Council has $485,054 (GST exclusive) remaining. Refunds will go to the three groups that funded the scheme, with $349,397 to be divided across the contributing property owners.
“If the connection was initially paid by a lump sum or over two or four years through rates, then the current property owner will receive the total refund by cheque, while those still paying through rates over 15 or 25 years will see a reduction in the ongoing annual rates charge related to this payment,” she said.
The refund has taken some time because Council wanted to ensure there were no extra costs in the operation of the plant.
Ratepayers will receive information regarding this refund in the next week.