It comes after the regional council recently apologised for two rates mistakes affecting almost 15,000 ratepayers.
The first involved 972 Oamaru and wider Waitaki ratepayers incorrectly charged for a public transport levy.
The other affected wider Dunedin ratepayers on the Leith flood protection scheme.
Moeraki constituency councillor Kevin Malcolm said he first flagged the transport levy mistake when a Hampden ratepayer who had been charged 12 times contacted him.
Cr Malcolm said the ratepayer had one residence but 12 separate titles within one lifestyle property.
‘‘They should only be charged one bus rate,’’ he said.
The anomaly appeared to reflect how that particular property’s rating information was rendered in the Waitaki District Council rating database.
‘‘It is an error,’’ he said.
‘‘I’m working with these people now because why can’t Waitaki District Council put them in one demand?’’
Other Waitaki property owners with separate titles on a single property had subsequently contacted him.
‘‘Uninhabited sections have been rated for a service they don’t get — in error.’’
One was a property with three sections.
It had a residence with a section reserved for a septic tank field, ‘‘yet they sent three separate rating invoices’’.
Cr Malcolm said it seemed the Waitaki rating database system was unable to ‘‘see common sense’’.
To him, what had happened reflected a problem at that end, ‘‘rather than an invoice error’’.
‘‘Why would you send out 14 rates bills to a person?
‘‘The cost of administration alone is just bloody bollocks.’’
However, the regional council had grabbed the Waitaki property rating information straight from the district council.
What had happened should have been picked up by the regional council earlier.
‘‘It should have been checked.
‘‘It would be really good where titles could be amalgamated for rating.
‘‘It would make sense for administration. Here we are still getting nine rates demands, listing these nine titles, which is nutty really.’’
The council had since apologised.
‘‘We’ve made a mistake and we haven’t completely identified how the mistake was made,’’ Cr Malcolm said.
‘‘Everyone is getting a refund, so you’ll still be charged for one house.’’
Waitaki District Council director of support services Paul Hope said the council provided the ORC with its database, ‘‘but how they then use it is a matter for the regional council’’.
‘‘How a property is rated in the Waitaki district is based on the prescribed valuation rules, the Local Government Rating Act and the councils’ rating policies.
‘‘We welcome any ratepayer queries on anything appearing incorrect on their rates invoice, so we can investigate and resolve any issues as quickly as possible.’’
