The Taxpayers’ Union welcomes the call by Wellington City Councillor Fleur Fitzsimons for a shift to land value based rates charges.

Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says, "Local government leaders across the country should join in Fitzsimons’s call for land-based rates. Councils across the country including Auckland, Hamilton, Christchurch, and Dunedin all rate property by their capital values, effectively punishing landowners who efficiently develop their land. That's shameful when we have a shortage of housing."

"Charging rates only on land value will encourage land owners to maximise the usefulness of their land, spurring development and sorely-needed economic growth."

"Excluding improvements from the rating formula will also simplify valuations, ensuring fairer and more consistent rate levies."

© Scoop Media