Kaipara’s rates hike and museum funding scrutinised by mayoral hopefuls

Matakohe's Kauri Museum is one of three local museums set to benefit from the Kaipara District Council's new $14 per property targeted rate.

Mayoral hopeful Ash Nayyar says Kaipara’s rates hike is “absolutely unjustified” and that residents will pay more while vital infrastructure remains neglected.

Kaipara District Council (KDC) recently confirmed an average rates increase of 8.3% for the 2025/26 year, alongside a $14 targeted rate per property to support three local museums.

The council also forgave a $100,000 debt owed by Mangawhai Museum, one of the recipients of the targeted rate.

Kaipara councillor Ash Nayyar says Kaipara’s rates hike is “absolutely unjustified”. Photo / Michael Craig

Kaipara District Ratepayers and Residents Association (DRRA) chairwoman Rose Dixon said the hike added to already high costs, with residents questioning what they were getting in return.

The increase still didn’t include rubbish collection. Dixon also criticised the museum rate, which the DRRA had opposed because of affordability concerns.

The council initially opposed the museum rate but reversed its stance after receiving 388 public submissions on the issue, about two-thirds of which it said supported a targeted rate in some form.

Three mayoral candidates – Ash Nayyar, Jonathan Larsen and Snow Tane – responded to some of the concerns raised by Dixon, including rates affordability, infrastructure priorities, museum funding, and transparency.

Nayyar, a sitting councillor, said the combined impact of the general and targeted rates amounted to a 9% average increase. He blamed the rise on unnecessary capital works, while essential services such as roading, water and flood resilience remained underfunded.

Snow Tane is the only mayoral candidate not currently on the council. Photo / Supplied

“Necessary projects were amply funded but haven’t been executed in the last two years,” Nayyar said. “I would not support similar increases in future budgets.”

He disputed the council’s claim that most submitters supported the museum rate.

“The $100k debt to Mangawhai Museum, which was written off, adds to the general rate increases and sets a bad precedent. It encourages inefficiently operated museums to continue relying on ratepayer funding.”

Deputy Mayor and mayoral candidate Jonathan Larsen said the council had worked hard to reduce the increase to 8.3% and believed further savings were achievable.

“If elected, I will lead a line-by-line review of all budgets with a focus on core services and delivering the basics well.”

Larsen said most current spending already targets infrastructure such as roads, footpaths, drainage and water systems, and he would ensure that focus remains.

Larsen supported the $14 museum rate but only on the condition that funding was shared evenly across all three museums.

“Essential infrastructure must always come first,” he said. “Cultural investment should be guided by community desire through consultation.”

Kaipara Mayor Craig Jepson (left) with current Deputy Mayor Jonathan Larsen. Photo / Susan Botting

Snow Tane, the only candidate not currently on the council, described the rates increase as “tolerable”.

“That’s an average. It won’t be the same across the district … I’m one of the ones last year that got hit pretty hard,” he said.

While acknowledging financial pressure on residents, Tane said the increase was partly justified by the council’s focus on infrastructure and services, including flood resilience projects in Mangawhai and upgrades in Dargaville.

He noted the council had reduced the original proposed increase from 8.9% to 8.3%, which he viewed as a sign of fiscal restraint.

Tane noted discussions around museum funding had begun well before the recent water infrastructure issues in Dargaville.

Museums reflected the district’s history and “the community needs to play a big part in them,” he said.

While he saw value in council helping to keep museums open and accessible for both locals and visitors, he stressed that future decisions must strike a responsible balance, ensuring cultural amenities are maintained without diverting attention from overdue investment in essential infrastructure.

On rubbish collection, Nayyar said including it in rates was “worth investigating”, citing Auckland’s model.

Larsen preferred the current user-pays system, suggesting it may be cheaper overall, but said he was open to change if there was strong community support.

Tane didn’t rule it out but favoured community-led solutions, encouraging recycling and composting to reduce waste initially.

All three candidates expressed a desire to improve transparency.

Nayyar pledged to reduce the number of public-excluded meetings and meet monthly with groups like the DRRA.

Larsen said he would roll out regular public reporting on where money is collected and spent, and already had some of that work under way.

Tane emphasised balanced decision-making that reflected cultural and infrastructure priorities.

Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on a wide range of issues. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism, most of which she spent court reporting in Gisborne and on the East Coast.