We are responsible for flood protection and recovery work across Canterbury/Waitaha. This work is funded mostly through rates from residents in ‘river rating districts’.
We manage 59 such river rating districts. Each district has a scheme of work to reduce flooding and erosion through building and maintaining stopbanks, planting at river edges, and clearing riverbeds of trees or weeds that obstruct or divert river flow.
The Ashburton River rating district covers land along the length of the Ashburton River /Hakatere from the foothills to the coast.
Funding flood protection through rates
If you live in the Ashburton River rating district part of your Environment Canterbury rates bill goes towards maintenance of the flood protection scheme. This work helps protect you, your home, land or business, and essential infrastructure including roads, bridges and power lines from flooding and erosion.
Within the district, the amount of river rates you pay depends upon the capital value of your property and the risk and benefit to your property.
Why are we making a change?
The current river rating classes have been in place for about 27 years. Things have changed since then, we’ve upgraded parts of the scheme around Ashburton and Valetta and we’ve learnt more about where the highest risks and benefits are.
Combining the benefits to the community, latest flood modelling, and the effects of the May 2021 flood, we are restructuring the rating classes. This includes reducing the number of rating classes from 13 to 6, and including some properties that now receive protection from flooding but don’t currently contribute. These changes reflect more appropriately the benefit to residents of the flood and erosion protection.
We are responsible for flood protection and recovery work across Canterbury/Waitaha. This work is funded mostly through rates from residents in ‘river rating districts’.
We manage 59 such river rating districts. Each district has a scheme of work to reduce flooding and erosion through building and maintaining stopbanks, planting at river edges, and clearing riverbeds of trees or weeds that obstruct or divert river flow.
The Ashburton River rating district covers land along the length of the Ashburton River /Hakatere from the foothills to the coast.
Funding flood protection through rates
If you live in the Ashburton River rating district part of your Environment Canterbury rates bill goes towards maintenance of the flood protection scheme. This work helps protect you, your home, land or business, and essential infrastructure including roads, bridges and power lines from flooding and erosion.
Within the district, the amount of river rates you pay depends upon the capital value of your property and the risk and benefit to your property.
Why are we making a change?
The current river rating classes have been in place for about 27 years. Things have changed since then, we’ve upgraded parts of the scheme around Ashburton and Valetta and we’ve learnt more about where the highest risks and benefits are.
Combining the benefits to the community, latest flood modelling, and the effects of the May 2021 flood, we are restructuring the rating classes. This includes reducing the number of rating classes from 13 to 6, and including some properties that now receive protection from flooding but don’t currently contribute. These changes reflect more appropriately the benefit to residents of the flood and erosion protection.
The total amount of river rates for the district in 2022/23 will be similar to the current year (with inflation added). The costs will be distributed across more properties. The amount you pay – if you live in the rating district – may increase or decrease depending on your property’s location and the benefits received.
Upper reaches of the Ashburton River/Hakatere and tributaries:
Pudding Hill Stream
North Branch Ashburton River/Hakatere upstream of the Rangitata Diversion Race
Taylors Stream
Bowyers Stream and tributaries
South Branch Ashburton River/Hakatere upstream of Taylors Stream
Blands Reach (North Branch Ashburton River/Hakatere from Mt Harding Creek to Flemings Road)
Lake Hood
South Branch, lower parts of Greenstreet
Areas with the same or similar rates:
Ashburton town central
Higher parts of Greenstreet
River Road (above terrace)
Areas with higher rates:
Racecourse Road area and Wakanui Creek area
Tinwald (but decreased in surrounding areas)
New rating class area
A new area west of the existing classification (including Westerfield, Lagmhor and Huntingdon) reflecting the benefit provided by the Valetta stopbank.
