Whangārei general rates to rise 4.3 per cent on average each year for next decade

The Whangārei District Council has set its rates for the coming year. Photo / File

Whangārei residents can expect a rates increase of about 4.3 per cent each year for the next decade.

The Whangārei District Council adopted its 2018-2028 Long Term Plan yesterday, opting to stick with the plan it worked out in the 2015-2025 Long Term Plan.

That will see rates continue to increase by the Local Government Cost Index (currently 1.7 per cent) plus 2 per cent each year.

Immediately after adopting the plan, the council set the rates and charges for the year from July 1 to June 30, 2019. The rates increase for the average residential property is 3.7 per cent for the 2018-19 year.

The uniform annual general charge has increased 3.97 per cent from $440.50 to $458.

A residential property in an urban area with a land value of $195,000 paid $1949.22 in rates in the 2017-18 year. That same property will face a bill of $2020.80 in 2018-19.

That rates bill is made up of the general rate, the UAGC, the sewerage disposal rate and the refuse management rate.

A rural property with a land value of $750,000 paid $2848.50 in 2017-18 and will have a bill of $3099.63 this year.

A commercial property with a land value of $510,000 paid $13,692.85 last year, and will pay $14,3933.53 this year.

Councillor Vince Cocurullo said he could not agree on increases in rates. He said people's wages, and particularly those on fixed incomes, were not increasing at the same rate.

Cr Cherry Hermon acknowledged "nobody wants to pay rates".

"We've adopted the LTP, this is how we pay for it."

She was pleased to see the adoption of 14 policies for rates remission for different situations.

Cr Shelley Deeming said: "Rates and charges must be set to keep the district rolling." She said the council was doing this in a way which was financially prudent.

Mayor Sheryl Mai said the council had the "second lowest residential rates in the nation".

Mai hoped that the decisions made yesterday could put a future council in a "privileged position" to reduce rates.

Whangārei residents can check what their rates will be from Monday, July 9, at http://www.wdc.govt.nz/RatesandPayments/Rates/Pages/RatesDatabaseSearch.aspx

The proposed figures on the site currently need to be updated after the Long Term Plan was formally adopted.