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281A: What fees and charges may be imposed
or “Authorities can decide how much to charge and how to collect payment for their building-related services.”

You could also call this:

“The authority can make you pay more if their usual fee doesn't cover their costs, but they must tell you how much extra it will be if you ask.”

When an authority performs a function or service for you under this Act, they charge a fee. If this fee isn’t enough to cover their actual and reasonable costs in a specific case, they can increase the fee to cover the extra cost.

If the authority increases the fee, you can ask them to give you an estimate of how much more you’ll need to pay. The authority must provide this estimate when you request it.

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Next up: 281C: Authority may waive or refund fee or charge

or “The people in charge can choose to let you pay less or nothing for their help”

Part 3 Regulatory responsibilities and accreditation
Fees, charges, and additional costs

281BAuthority may increase fee or charge to meet additional cost

  1. If a fee or a charge imposed by an authority for a function or service performed by the authority under this Act is, in any particular case, inadequate to meet the authority’s actual and reasonable costs in performing that function or service, the authority may increase the amount of the fee or charge to meet the additional cost.

  2. The authority must, on request by the person liable to pay the increased fee or charge, provide an estimate of the increase in the fee or charge.

Notes
  • Section 281B: inserted, on , by section 65 of the Building Amendment Act 2012 (2012 No 23).