Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown announces smaller rates hike for households in revised 10-year budget proposal

Auckland ratepayers will breathe a small sigh of relief after Mayor Wayne Brown announced rates rises for households will be lower than first proposed.

A revised 10-year proposal unveiled by Brown yesterday would see the average Auckland household paying an extra $6.38 per week in rates and water charges, compared to the original proposal of an $11.79 hike.

A statement released by the mayor’s office today said the revised proposal would see rates increase for the average Auckland residential property by 6.8 per cent in 2025, 5.8 per cent in 2026, and 7.9 per cent in 2027.

Beyond this, there would be an average rates increase of no more than 3.5 per cent to 2034.

The original 10-year budget proposal in December saw Auckland Council table a rates rise of about 48 per cent over the decade - 7.5 per cent this year, 3.5 per cent next year, 8 per cent in 2026 and about 3 per cent thereafter.

“I’ve proposed the lowest rates increase of any metropolitan council in New Zealand. It’s less than half the national average, and this year’s rates bill will be even lower than what I originally consulted on,” Brown said.

The increases would have added up to about 48 per cent for the more than 600,000 ratepayers in Auckland, meaning the median rates bill in 2034 would have been roughly $1500 more than it is today.

Auckland mayor Wayne Brown. Photo / Michael Craig

The suburbs facing the highest median increase in rates were Hobson Bay near Parnell and Remuera ($1143), Penrose ($778) and Coxs Bay, near Grey Lynn ($775). Some of the smallest rates increases would be in Grafton ($117) and Auckland Central ($126), where many properties are apartments.

Meanwhile, almost half of Auckland ratepayers are due for increases this year between $150 and $250; 138,788 properties (23.1 per cent) are in the $150-$200 bracket, and 141,280 properties (23.5 per cent) will increase by $200-$250.

The statement comes just over a week after Brown was joined by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to announce the 25.8 per cent water rates increase that was projected to hit Aucklanders later this year had been avoided.

Aucklanders will see an increase of 7.2 per cent to water rates under a new model for Watercare that will be legislated for in a new bill introduced by Local Government Minister Simeon Brown.

Minister for Auckland Simeon Brown (from left), Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown at the announcement of the Local Water Done Well water reform for Auckland. Photo / Alex Burton

Luxon hailed the agreement as an example of central and local governments working well together.

“Under the Local Water Done Well solution we have announced today, Aucklanders will avoid the 25.8 per cent water rate increases previously proposed by Watercare,” Simeon Brown said at the announcement.

At yesterday’s Auckland Council budget committee workshop, Wayne Brown also proposed that the council group find additional savings of $141.8 million over the next three years, “to ensure that the council remains on a path of financial sustainability”, and in line with his priority to stop wasteful spending.

“We are responding to what our communities are telling us, that people are hurting financially. We can help ease the pain by keeping rates as low as possible,” Brown said.

Benjamin Plummer is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He has worked for the Herald since 2022.