People buying property, including bare sections are being encouraged to get a LIM (Land Information Memorandum), which will alert them to important information about the land, including confirming that everything onsite is legal.

A LIM will also tell you if the water and wastewater connections have been paid for, as well as any other Development Contributions owing.

Group Manager Jane Donaldson said a core part of Council’s business was to provide the water, wastewater and community infrastructure needed by a growing community and Development Contributions helped pay for that.

“Development Contributions are a funding tool that enables Council to recover a fair share of the cost of building and upgrading that infrastructure from people who are undertaking development.”

Council adopted a new Development Contribution for Mount Somers as part of its Long Term Plan recently, meaning people building on land serviced by the new Mount Somers water membrane treatment plant will have to pay a contribution.

Ms Donaldson said many people thought that buying a “serviced” section meant the connections had been paid for.

“However, that is not usually the case in the Ashburton District because Council charges for these connections when the building consent is issued.”

She said anyone looking to buy a property, whether it was a bare section or a house and section, should do due diligence so they were aware of any risks they were taking on.

Ms Donaldson said people should get all information available before purchasing a property, whether it was bare land or had buildings.

“A property inspection, carried out by an independent specialist, is also a good idea and tells you about building work listed in Council records.

“We often see examples of problems emerging where LIMs or property inspections haven’t been part of the purchase process. People shouldn’t bypass standard checks and it is always advisable to speak to a solicitor before making an offer.”