Tauranga rates hike criticised; calls at council hearings to ‘rein in spending’

Mark Kenyon-Slade said Tauranga rates kept going up relentlessly. Photo / Alisha Evans

• Ratepayers urged Tauranga City Council to curb spending and reduce the proposed 12% rates rise.
• Residents expressed frustration, calling for spending cuts and more community facilities in Pāpāmoa.
• Mayor Mahé Drysdale said $29 million in savings were found and it was aiming for more to reduce the increase.

Ratepayers are urging Tauranga City Council to “rein in spending” and focus on the basics to curb a “wicked” 12% rates rise.

The council christened its new chambers on Devonport Rd yesterday with a meeting to hear public feedback on its Annual Plan for 2025/26.

The plan, which proposed an overall rates rise of 12%, received 968 written submissions and 96 people asked to speak to the council directly.

Submitters on Tuesday asked for rates to be reduced, more community facilities in Pāpāmoa and gave feedback about Local Waters Done Well.

Mark Kenyon-Slade said there was “great frustration and annoyance” because rates kept going up “relentlessly”.

“There’s a feeling there out there that council is addicted to spending.

“Council needs to rein in spending. Spending other people’s money is extremely easy.

“It is a responsibility of us all around this room to take this more seriously.”

Kenyon-Slade questioned why the rates increase was 12% when inflation was less than 3%.

“It‘s wicked, it‘s absolutely wicked.”

Ōtūmoetai resident Neil Pollett said the council’s rates increase should be capped at the rate of inflation.

“Ratepayers are not a bottomless pit of money that TCC can keep mining to fund its future pet projects.

“A lot of residents feel unhappy with the direction of our council and feel utterly powerless in their ability to influence it.”

Jan Gyenge wanted no residential rates rise. Photo / Alisha Evans

Jan Gyenge said the residential rates increase was not sustainable.

“There should be no residential rates increase in the 2025/26 annual plan.”

Gyenge said $40 million in savings needed to be found so residential rates wouldn’t need to be increased.

“Ratepayers need to be respected.”

Removing that increase would make a positive step towards building people’s trust and confidence in the council, she said.

Mayor Mahé Drysdale said the council had found $29m in savings to bring the rates rise to 12%.

“We are on track to hopefully find another $10m of savings, and unfortunately that only gets us to a 10% average rate rise.”

To avoid a rates rise, the council would need to find $80m in savings, Drysdale said.

Pāpāmoa resident Ron Melville said the council needed to get the basics right. Photo / Alisha Evans

Ron Melville of Pāpāmoa said the council should spend 50% of its budget on core services, 30% on parks, reserves and public space, and 0% on “overpriced city centre developments”.

Construction has started on parts of the council’s $306m new civic precinct, Te Manawataki o Te Papa.

“We are not here to bankroll a downtown utopia while our own footpaths crumble and our parks go unmowed, Melville said.

“This is not about being anti-progress, it‘s about getting the basics right.”

Nathan York, chief executive of Pāpāmoa East-based development company Bluehaven Group, said about 30% of Tauranga’s population lived in the eastern corridor.

He wanted the council to invest in facilities for Pāpāmoa.

“We’re particularly keen to see an aquatic facility that meets a regional and national standard.”

Pāpāmoa Rugby Club chairman Nick Jones and committee member Leah Sutton. Photo / Alisha Evans

Pāpāmoa Rugby Club chairman Nick Jones said Gordon Spratt Reserve, where the club was based, was over capacity and used by many sporting codes.

He asked the council for land at 4 Stevenson Drive, in Golden Sands, to be zoned active reserve so fields could be built and the club could relocate there.

This would enhance recreation facilities for the growing Pāpāmoa community, he said.

It would be an ideal a permanent home for the rugby club, Jones said.

“Our proposal supports the social, cultural and sporting fabric of Pāpāmoa.”

Submitters also spoke about Local Water Done Well.

There was an even split between people in favour of the council joining with other councils to deliver three-waters services, and those who believed Tauranga had good water infrastructure and did not need to partner with others.

The Annual Plan and Local Water Done Well hearings will continue on Thursday.

The council will deliberate on the Annual Plan on May 26.

– LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.