Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Amanda Luxon. Photo / File
Auckland’s wealthiest residents are digging deeper into their pockets to pay their share of Auckland Council’s $3.49 billion rates take, up nearly $300 million from last year.
Some will be paying between $100,000 and more than $200,000 in annual rates – and that still entitles them to just one wheelie bin each.
The Herald on Sunday understands the rates for Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s multimillion-dollar Waiheke Island property have almost doubled to more than $25,000 after a rates increase of nearly 80%. His Remuera home got off comparatively lightly, with rates rising to nearly $18,000 after a 20% increase.
The Prime Minister’s office said it had no comment on Luxon’s personal finances when asked by the Herald on Sunday.
Meanwhile, billionaire Graeme Hart, who has an estimated wealth of $12.1 billion, will need to fork out $224,549 in council rates for his sprawling clifftop compound in Auckland’s Glendowie. Earlier this year, Hart’s home in Glendowie had its CV drop by 8% from $52m to $48m. That meant the rates on Hart’s home rose 7.6% to $113,943.
However, the total CV of the multiple properties making up the Hart family estate with its spread of lush lawns and gardens, pools and tennis courts is $92m, down 10.6% on the previous valuation. That meant the total rates for Hart’s compound have risen from $215,100 in 2024 to $224,549 – just a 4.4% increase.
Graeme and wife Robyn Hart’s multiple properties on Waiheke Island have also risen by 27% in value to an estimated $104m.
Hart’s total rates on his Waiheke properties have increased by 37% to about $140,000.
Auckland Council published its new rates data so homeowners can now check what they’re owing in the coming year. The Herald has created its own map to allow people to compare their upcoming rates to last year’s, which can be found at nzherald.co.nz.
Property values, meanwhile, fell by an average of 9% across the city between May 2021 and May 2024. Owners of those with a value drop close to the average will have rates rises near the signalled 5.8%. But some are facing increases to their rates bills well above the “average-value residential property” rate.
Mainfreight co-founder Bruce Plested was one facing a steep rate increase for his 300ha farm on Waiheke Island. Rates on the property, which overlooks 5km of private coastline, have risen from $151,000 last year to $198,000 – a 31% increase.
When Plested purchased the prime Waiheke real estate for $72m in 2021, he told OneRoof he thought it was “one of most beautiful properties on earth”.
“It’s very special, and we would like to leave it very much in its natural state,” he said.
In Coatesville, the rates bill for the former Dotcom mansion, owned now by Zuru billionaires Nick Mowbray and family, is just over $70,000. That’s an 11.3% increase on their rates bill last year with the latest CV on their property placing its value at $40m.
It is unlikely to make a sizeable dent in the wallet of Mowbray, who last year topped the National Business Review’s Rich List alongside his brother Mat for the growth of their toy-manufacturing empire. NBR listed their estimated net worth as $20b.
However, Mowbray will also be paying another rates bill of $59,000 for a Herne Bay property he bought in 2023 for $24.4m. He and his partner Jaimee Lupton plan to demolish the existing house and build a new mansion.
Nearby, Auckland property rich-lister Kurt Gibbons’ Herne Bay home has a matching CV of $24.5m and will also be owing the same rates bill of $59,000 to the council.
Mowbray’s sister Anna and partner Ali Williams are looking at a jump of 14% for the rates on their $25.8m Westmere property. Rates on the property have risen to over $54,000 for the coming year.
Combined with other rates bills the couple will be paying on their Coatesville properties they could be paying well over $63,000 in rates.
Their seafront mansion has been at the centre of an ongoing dispute surrounding the council’s decision to approve a controversial helipad at the residence.
An appeal has been filed by Quiet Sky Waitematā, a group set up to oppose private helicopters in residential Auckland, to the Environment Court.
Williams and Mowbray said they were “deeply disappointed” by the legal challenge.
A palm-tree-shrouded mansion on Paritai Drive, Ōrākei, has an upcoming rates bill of $173,000. Exporter Deyi “Stone” Shi bought the clifftop property for $39m in 2013, Auckland’s largest sale, and it is now valued at $72.5m.
To give a better idea of its proportions, the house spans 2568sq m on 4322sq m of land and the garage can hold up to 20 cars.
Other luxury listings on Paritai Drive include The Real Housewives of Auckland star Gilda Kirkpatrick’s famous “wedding cake” house. The distinctive curved design of the property overlooking the harbour has a CV of $28m. Kirkpatrick will be looking at an upcoming rates bill of $67,000 for her multimillion-dollar home.
Government House in Epsom is also facing a rates bill of more than $92,000. A council spokesperson confirmed the Crown will pay the rates bill for the property to the council.
The expansive grounds and historic garden are valued at about $39m. At the time Government House was built in 1855-56 it was the largest residence in the country. The Auckland property is the secondary official residence of the Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro.
Across Auckland, a 5.8% increase in rates was predicted by the council for homeowners. However, many properties have been receiving much larger increases to their bills.
Residents in rural towns such as Waiuku and Helensville are facing rate rises of more than 23% in some cases.
The Herald uncovered significant errors in some of the new bills sent out to Auckland homeowners, with one property in Ōtāhuhu unfairly being lumped with a bill that was $430k above the correct amount.
The council’s total take from residential rates will be about $2.29b with the remainder of the $3.49b coming from commercial properties across Auckland.
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