An independent review has found a "discrepancy" in capital valuations caused the West Coast Regional Council rates mess.
As a result, some Hokitika and Hari Hari ratepayers will now have an extra month to pay their first instalment, and some will get a refund.
In a statement on Wednesday, the council again apologised for the mistake.
It engaged Price Waterhouse Cooper 10 days ago to comb through its rates system after ratepayers in Westland, Grey and Buller districts were shocked to find bill increases of up to 100%.
The external auditor is still working through what happened.
Council chief executive Darryl Lew said so far they had found rates demands issued for Westland and Buller districts, with some exceptions, were correct.
In Westland, the exceptions were for those in the Hokitika and Wanganui special rating districts.
"I am pleased that we have located the discrepancy and [we're] working to put this right," Lew said.
"I want to apologise to ratepayers for the confusion around this matter. We know that it has been stressful."
He urged ratepayers to be patient with the council's frontline staff: "They have fielded a lot of inquiries and are doing their best to help each person."
The regional council phone system was out of action yesterday, and a message referred callers about rates to an email address.
Lew said while Westland and Buller ratepayers had previously been advised to pay their first instalment, the council was now extending the due date from October 20 to November 20 "to avoid possible confusion".
It would be writing directly to special rating district ratepayers in Hokitika and Wanganui (Hari Hari) to explain the issue and the next steps.
For those in the Grey rating area, two issues had been identified, with further investigation under way relating to ratepayers in the Greymouth floodwall and Redjacks special rating districts.
Lew said the council was "confident" it had got to the root of the problem - why some ratepayers had seen steep increases on their invoices, well above the general rates approved increase of 16.42%.
The problem was around the capital valuations used to assess individual rates demands, he said.
"Changes in capital values, both increases and decreases, can seriously impact year on year comparisons. For properties that have been revalued, the rate is now based on the new valuation and the increase itself will vary from property to property."
In some cases, particularly in Buller, property valuations had doubled.
"Unfortunately, these valuations are outside the control of council."
He encouraged struggling ratepayers to contact the council office to set up a payment plan.
"Any discrepancy will be addressed through the second instalment to be issued in March/April 2024."
Staff would also be contacting ratepayers in areas with an issue, where they had already paid their rates in full, "to work out a refund or remittance" where required.
Lew said the rates issue had also raised the question in some ratepayers' minds of the purpose of the regional council.
"The regional council manages the air, land, freshwater and coastal resources of the West Coast."
This was undertaken through the development of regional planning documents by council setting out how people could use and interact with the natural resources of the region through planning rules.
"Council issues consents for a range of activities and follows this up through a compliance function."
It also co-ordinated Civil Defence emergency management and regional land transport planning across the region, flood warning systems on seven key rivers, and the management of the flood and erosion protection for 23 special rating districts.
Other activities include hazardous substance and marine spill response capability, quarry management, pest control and biosecurity.
By Brendon McMahon, Local Democracy Reporter
Public Interest Journalism funded by NZ On Air
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