New Regent St in Christchurch during the alert level 4 lockdown. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
- This story was first published by RNZ
They were allowed to put off paying their mid-year instalment if they could prove their income had fallen by 30 percent or more due to the lockdown.
Council's acting chief financial officer Diane Brandish said most of the deferred rates - totalling $6.5m - had now been paid back, and steps were being taken to get back the rest.
"That's not too bad. It was probably a little optimistic to think that all [ratepayers] would be in a position to pay it. But... we are working with those people and assisting them with a payment plan."
Ratepayers would have until June to catch up before the council considered approaching peoples' banks to get the money back.
