Thank you to everyone who participated in our survey about the proposal by the Whangarei District Council to increase rates by 10.9%.
The survey was promoted by random letterbox drop.
The question asked was:
The Whangarei District Council is proposing a 10.9% rate increase for the financial year starting 1 July 2023. What do you think is reasonable?
Respondents were asked to choose only one of 11 options and given the opportunity to comment. A representative sample of those comments is appended.
The response options were:
0%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9% or 10.9%
307 responses had been received as at 19 May.
Responses were limited to one per IP (internet protocol) address. Email and reCAPTCHA verifications were required. The margin of error is 5.6% at the 95% confidence level. (In other words, if the poll were repeated 19 out of 20 times the result would be as is shown + or – 5.6%.)
Results
The collective view is the rate increase should be no more than 3.4%.
• 5% was the most popular response. 27% selected that option.
• 0% was the second most popular response. 25% selected that option.
• 6% and 3% received approx. 12% supported those options.
When expressed as a range 47% said the rate increase should be between 0% to 3%, and
49% said it should be between 4% and 6%.
Only 4% said it should be greater than 7%, which includes the two options the Council put out for public discussion, being 7.9% or 10.9%.
Responses by range
Comments from respondents (unedited, a selection)
0% All prices are going up. If we have to put rents up to cover the costs the elderly and disadvantaged will be struggling to afford accommodation. We could end up with a lot more homeless on our streets and that would be bad for crime and Whangarei businesses also
0% Conference hall by Riverside was opposed by the majority. Hundertwasser is totally wasting space.
0% Considering that all I get is a rubbish collection. I can’t afford to live in the place I have lived for 35 years. I have turned off my hot water cylinder. I am 60. What am I supposed to do now?
0% Council has zero idea what 2024 will bring so all projects based on earlier data should be shelved until clear parameters are known.
0% cut bureaucrats and cultural funding
0% Far too much un-necessary spending. Councils should be involved in essentials only.
0% Given we can't get any transparency on numbers, I don't consider any increase is reasonable.
0% Hard times at the moment everything has gone up. This would cause hardship to a lot of families and businesses. People could lose their homes and businesses could go under. The rates are expensive as it is
0% I am on superannuation. I can not afford any increase as well as the inflation happening now.
0% I don’t think this is fair considering the financial situation our country is in. The rates are also based off land valuation prices done during the peak of the market. Prices have since come down so would not be fair increasing rates further.
0% I had to tick the 0 because there was no -%, we’ve been pillaged enough thanks last 50yrs id say u know it i know it.
0% If the rates go up, my rent goes up, and my two very sick adult daughters and I will be living in my car with a dog and a cat.
0% In the current economic climate, it is unfair to penalise residents who seem to have NO SAY on a Rates rise. Perhaps if our Council looked at costs - staff numbers, contractors, unnecessary expenditure on things like "propping up" the Hundertwasser etc - they could keep within their budget - without penalising their residents.
0% Need start being responsible and spend money on the basics.
0% Nil increase, food and rent to expensive at the moment.
0% No need for any rate increase when we are paying this much amount of high tax!!!!
0% No need of paying any extra as govt is already taking unfair tax on salary.
0% Now is not the time for such an increase. Cut your cloth to suit.
0% Our communities are already suffering from the effects of inflation and recent natural disasters. Council spending should be redirected from cosmetic projects to necessary and essential repairs of our roading and wastewater infrastructure. Council needs to look closely at its priorities and focus on what our current and future needs not what it wants!
0% Our rates have doubled in the last 10 years and times are hard and we are struggling to keep our heads above water. The council should not be building any new buildings that cost us rate payers.
0% Our services in the rural area have not changed. We are lucky if we get metal put on the road, let alone a grader. Charging us for water when we collect it ourselves is disgusting. I do not like my rubbish collected as they just leave it all over the road, including when they break bottles. Our nice clean green NZ is rubbish with it floating everywhere. Plus, with the cost of living who the hell can afford a rate increase.
0% Outrageous spending in low productive areas, non-ratepaying areas. Make everyone pay rates. No special tax breaks for being Māori. that's not right.
0% People just can't stretch their $$ any more.
0% Stop wasting rate payers $$$ on unnecessary things.
0% The Council is building a massive new Administration Building that is supposed to reduce costs. Why increase the rates?
0% The current rate should be reduced.
0% Their spending of ratepayers money is out of hand and fraudulent.
0% There is so much unnecessary spending on "wants" not "needs". I wish the council would consider the needs of the people in their constituency and consider fulfilling those as a priority. Basic things like ensuring building affordable and safe houses is possible.
0% They need to stop spending and wasting money on extravagant projects and get back to basics in these hard times. Also when the government dangles a carrot say no as they do not have the peoples best interest at heart
0% They should be decreasing the rates! Water comes free from the sky, land rates are exorbitant. Whoever voted for a new council building should be made to pay for it personally, including bailing out that Museum at the Town Basin (which is also making a huge loss).
0% Times are already tough, lets focus on reducing costs instead of the ever-increasing options!
0% Times are tough and now is definitely NOT the time to increase Rates. We are Rural and already pay a small fortune in rates for very little in return. NO MORE!!!
0% Times are tough, got no money, council out of touch
0% WDC is not known for looking after its ratepayers I had water run off onto my land for 3 years and absolutely did nothing
0% We already pay enough rates!
0% We are all taking cuts spending needs to be on necessary items like infrastructure forget the rest
0% We are receiving less and less as ratepayers so why should we pay more?
0% We cannot afford a rate increase.
0% We have already had fairly recent rate increases. Our council is not listening to the people who elected it sufficiently. A big rate increase will affect citizens already struggling through the increase in the cost of living such as in the area of food. The council should be looking for ways to cut costs rather than passing on the trouble of a shortage of funds to ratepayers.
0% We have suffered greatly, with the likes of Covid and cyclones, it’s an utter disgrace that they want to keep increasing it , it’s already risen, 53% in the last number of years
0% Whangarei District Council should NEVER have built that new building, it has gone way over budget, with lots of costly mistakes made with the project management. Should have just leased a pre-existing building such as Dairy House, that would have been big enough for them to all be under the same roof. So reckless and arrogant of Council to be terribly extravagant during times of national and international hardship.
0% With how much the council receives through rates currently, i’m sure they can survive one year without raising the rates. With the cost of living and mortgage rates going up all it is going to do is force even more families to have to give up their homes and possibly leave the area because it costs to much money. The council may have money to build a new building (which in my eyes is a waste) but they need to think of the people who live paycheck to paycheck
1% As super annuitants it is hard enough to try and keep living within our means
1% I am a pensioner can’t afford the big rise.
1% I do not agree to a 10.9% increase. The cost of living is huge, and this is totally unfair
1% With prices going up so much at the grocery store rates should be minimally increased.
2% As a pensioner it is hard enough now to meet the current yearly payment, especially with the cost of living increasing constantly.
2% Council should cut back their spending like the rest of us have to. Only spend on essentials. Stop funding things like the Hundertwasser project if they're not making profit.
2% don’t waste money
2% I cannot afford a 10.9% increase simple as that. with everything going up I know it has to but that is way too much sorry. I already pay over $2700
2% I have absolutely no confidence in the WDC and its councillors.
2% I think 10.9% is a disgusting jump, with all the other increasing costs it at the moment with inflation this is too high of a jump especially with the current economy
2% Many ratepayers are already under financial pressure owing to recent significant increases in the prices of necessities. 10% of $2,000 may be too much for many to reasonably afford.
2% Way too expensive. A nil increase would be great, Council is not being efficient with our rates, should not be allocating more to developmental things such as conference centres, rather reducing costs to save ratepayers pain from the shocking income to cost of living ratio.
2% We need more transparency on proposed spending, and where money is coming from. 10.9% is very unreasonable.
2% Why would we want to pay such a huge increase when the Health & Safety issue we have been waiting for WDC to fix for 3 months is still in limbo. I am fed up of constantly emailing and phoning them for action. Our rates are paid every year, on time but when we need some urgent assistance, we are put on the backburner. Not good enough!!
2% With the increase in cost of living it is not fair to drop this huge increase on people who are already struggling.
2% Work within your budget! Focus on core infrastructure not unnecessary nice to haves.
3% 10% is too high. What is the hike for. I am only allowed to put my prices up by 5% PA. Is it the admin that's costing. If so, let's reduce Whangarei council staff seriously. Speak to Wayne Brown in Auckland to get ideas. Increasing costs is a real basic initiative. Reduce costs and re-evaluate services and contracts.
3% 10.9% is outrageous
3% 10.9% is simply outrageous. The Council should be better managing their debt, passing it on to ratepayers is unacceptable.
3% 3% seems fair and way more affordable
3% A rate increase of 10.9% is disgusting during a cost-of-living crises. Our wage increases are around 3% and our property values are overvalued and roads are shit so the WDC should take the pain instead of food off the rate payers table.
3% Facts are we're all having to tighten our belts. Council does too. Concentrate on pipes in the ground and no more fancy projects. We're struggling. Council need to be fair.
3% I do not think it is the time for large rate increases when families are facing large increases in food and mortgage cost, which in many cases they are unable to meet. Now is the time for restraint on any spending which is not absolutely and totally necessary and cannot be deferred.
3% I recognise that all the Council’s costs have gone up, but so have your ratepayers and most of us won’t have had a pay rise, and many of us will be earning much less than your councillors.
3% If they stopped stupid spending on minority groups wish lists and took charge of what roads needed resealing instead of leaving it to fools or the companies providing the service, I am sure they achieve the same result. They also need to decrease staff rather than employing in order to get the unemployment stats down on Government direction?
3% It's tough times for most households ..a large increase is not reasonable now
3% Let’s just do the essentials at the moment and pause on the niceties, money is really tight for us and a 10% rate increase is incredibly poor timing
3% Please may you consider wages. Many working people are not getting pay rises to keep up with the cost of living.
3% Salary increases are not near inflation, a low increase in rates this year with all mortgage rates going sky high and current cost of living would be of greater help. Council needs to support its rate payers more, put a hold on all unnecessary upgrades and beautification.
3% Services/staff need to be scaled back as this is no time for homeowners to be affording a 10.9% increase
3% Should only increase with the CPI.
3% Stop wasting rate payer money it's not councils right to spend our rates on big ticket items like the wonder go broke hussar when it was clearly stated that rate payers would not have to support this. It’s our money you work for us show some respect consult us please.
3% Stop with the pet projects and focus on core needs. Hope they're enjoying their new building.
3% The council has shown that it is out of control regarding the money it is spending. If it reined the spending in and stuck to the basics there would be no reason to increase the rates at all.
3% This is about how much my pension has increased by.
3% We are facing increases on all fronts at the moment with the way the economy is. 10.9% is disproportionate what are we gaining to justify this? Are there things that our community need to be aware of in regard to this increase. The majority of the community made it quite clear we did not wish to go ahead with the Oruku Conference Centre so we should not be expected to foot any part of that bill.
3% Who all got a decent pay increase
4% 10 percent is too much, the council must learn to spend less instead of making others pay for there mistakes
4% 10.9% is way out of our pension bracket and would lead to some hardship
4% 10.9% may be acceptable for the wealthiest 1% of income earners, but it is not acceptable for the other 99%, and especially unacceptable for those on fixed incomes (like pensioners). We are all struggling out here. We all have to do without. The Council should have to do without as well.
4% Cut the fat. Stop wasting ratepayers money.
4% Don't kick ratepayers in the teeth when you know times are hard at the moment. Fix infrastructure and reading and postpone other projects until the economy improves.
4% I think a 4% rate increase is fair to accommodate rising inflation and other costs while still being reasonably affordable for rate payers. I think this has been an extremely tough few years for the ratepayers and an 11% increase is absolutely ludicrous! I think they should rather concentrate on how they allocate funds. (Roads are a shambles, no need to spend millions on the old town hall - demo that crap building. Also how much did they spend over on their new building!! What a joke. Build an office block - not a giant architectural eye sore.
4% Inflation is crippling me financially already. Far outstripping my wage increase. With mortgage rates this high and increase in rates may see me force to sell.
4% Its time Council pulled their heads in, tightened their belt and started living within their means with OUR money. Interest on unnecessary borrowings and debt is crippling, non-sensical and a total waste of money.
4% Not happy with our council performance at all. Power has created arrogance, no consideration shown for community and Ratepayers. Rein in exorbitant spending and keep it real. Keep rate increase realistic.
4% Please focus on essentials. Trim staff where not effective.
4% Ridiculous increasing rates with the cost of living currently!!!
4% The council should focus on essential infrastructure and stop wasting rate payer's money on unnecessary "nice to have" projects.
4% We have already had fairly recent rates increases. Our council is not listening to the people who elected it sufficiently. Big rates increase will affect citizens already struggling through the increase in the cost of living such as in the area of food. The council should be looking for ways to cut costs rather than passing on the trouble of a shortage of funds to ratepayers.
4% Would prefer no rates rise and a transparent prioritisation process on expenditure undertaken.
5% Am located 10km from the cbd. Have been living here for 3.5 years. We have power outages multiple times per year, often for whole days. We have internet cuts (due to line not server provider) weekly; often for hours or days. Our water has cut off in the past year two times. Our roads are in terrible condition. We have two 'park walks' within 5km of our property and neither are maintained in any way at all - the sign fell down around 10 months ago and has not even been taken away or replaced. The berm on both sides of the road is council maintained and both sides have privet, morning glory and gorse. All of these things WDC enforce on private owners to maintain. We have recently subdivided our section in half and were asked to pay a very large contribution; when questioned it was suggested these costs were to cover all of the above areas. WDC expect private ratepayers to do all of the jobs, they are paid and responsible for, but have such low standards themselves. I am not happy for any rate increase based on the infrastructure we get in our area. However, inflation has to be counted for. Instead of having a shared lunch three times a week, or creating a policy to review every decision that is made to the point where no action ever happens, it would be great to see the ratepayer money be put into some infrastructure as it is supposed to and not have to ask the rate payer to keep paying more as WDC is not efficiently managing what they have.
5% Any rate rise over the inflation rate is just being greedy.
5% As a pensioner trying to exist on the pension, I would find it difficult if the increase went through at 10.9%.
5% As a retired person I am trying to be as prudent and frugal as possible.
5% At a time when everyone is having to cut all spending it is totally unrealistic of the council to even consider such an increase especially when there is so much spending going on against the rate payers wishes. There is so much necessary repairs required but millions has been spent on fancy buildings which are now costing a fortune to keep up. and they still want more !!!
5% cost of living & ALL other things are rising, being a Pensioner I am worried how I will cope.
5% Cost of living is through the roof, we cannot continue to have these rises.
5% Council needs to stick to the basics and not build monuments.
5% Council spending is excessive.
5% Folk in general are really struggling so affordability is essential
5% I accept a rates increase but 10.9% is just plain ridiculous considering the hardship of the non-wealthy at present.
5% I can't afford the proposed 10.9% rate increase. Get real people!
5% I oppose a 10.9% rate increase!
5% If the Council can find $800,000 to bail out Hundertwasser, plus spend $7million plus to renovate the old town hall, (for what use?) plus other projects (eg Event Centre) they obviously have plenty of money, while the rate payers are struggling to pay the rates, put food on the table, keep warm etc. It is time the Council stopped spending on useless projects and concentrated on their core business - eg fixing roads and footpaths. Hundertwasser is a white elephant that should never have happened as the majority of rate payers voted against it and were ignored by the current council at the time. To except rate payers to pay an increase of 10.9% in these hard times is criminal. Our council is living in fantasy land. They need to get back to the real world.
5% If the Hundertwasser is not paying close it until times are better if that ever happens - forget the new Conference Centre as it too will be another burden on the ratepayer - forget all major unnecessary Projects until better times as everyone is struggling after this useless Gov't who have destroyed the economy and people’s lives - we need to recover.
5% in my view 10.9% rate increase is unreasonable. added to the rising increase in cost of living i will find the extra charge hard to find.
5% In the current financial situation, we should be reducing spending to the basics.
5% Instead of spending money on Oruku and suchlike, should be looking after ratepayers and roads and controlling rates
5% It's reasonable to keep up with inflation, but anything more than that is unreasonable in the present economic climate.
5% Not keen on paying extra rates to support commercial projects like the Riverside hotel. The money must be spent on "need to have" not "wish to have" projects. That is not fair to the ratepayers.
5% Our council need to look at important issues affecting the community - i.e. dangerous roads & footpaths, rate payers without enough money to live on, keep warm, put petrol in their cars etc, rather than putting hundreds of thousands of dollars into the white elephant that Hundertwasser is and was always going to be, new council building in Rust Ave, Event Centre. 10.9% rate increase is criminal.
5% Stop the frivolous spends. Essentials only in these tough times.
5% The cost of living is expensive enough right now without this increase.
5% The rates increase will be a burden on the poor, elderly, and those on fixed incomes. I understand money is needed for infrastructure and services, however in a cost-of-living crisis a 10.9% rates increase is absurd.
5% They waste money on useless things.
5% This council is obsessed with spending other peoples' money to build monuments to themselves. Where do they think the money comes from? Always the same when money comes from an invisible money tree, maybe they should actually live on whatever the current pension is at the time while they're councillors.
5% This never-ending cost increases in rates needs to stop. Inflation causing and tax gathering. We (the ratepayer never seems to see anything for our buck but the Council gets the biggest newest largest building in the city. The only two large new builds together with Hundertwasser (another Council initiative).
5% This should be the maximum. Council needs to cut its spending. Times are very hard for many people at this time.
5% Too much is already spent on woke inspired projects. The Council should focus on the basis of community life and be more creative with the budgets they already have without adding to them. There has to be more accountability by the Council on their spending and what that spending achieves.
5% WDC Wasted all the extra money on their New Building and it's us poor ordinary people on low incomes expected to cover their extravagance.
5% We need to fix current flood damage issues.
5% With the increase in the cost of living a 10.9% increase as pensioners is outrageous.
6% Any rate increase must be same as inflation rate which is currently at 6%.
6% Any rate increase needs to go firstly towards the basics like fixing the atrocious roads in the WDC area properly the first time not constantly repairing patch ups. Ratepayers should not be responsible for propping up white elephants like the Hundertwasser complex that was so called privately operated and the possible Oruku Landing. Stick to the basic needs before spending ratepayer moneys on expensive wants.
6% Council not sympathetic to the plight different sectors of the community are finding themselves in.
6% I don't agree with 10.9 percent increase in council rate.
6% If Kaipara can do it so can WDC!
6% Pensioners and young families cannot afford any more than 6%.
6% Stop spending our money on "wants" projects and stay with core business. You were voted in to look after our rates money NOT for spending on trivia!!
6% Basic wages rose by 9.9% this year, though you must remember this is the minimum wage so an increase of 9% and above is not fair. Inflation is running at 6.7% so with some cost cutting to the budget a rate of 6% seems fair and affordable to most of us.
6% These are hard times most New Zealanders are facing. Price increases throughout our economy are causing distress for many across the social spectrum. A rate increase will cause additional burden on an already burdened society. WDC must connect with rates payers and understand such a rate hike is not the right thing to pursue at these exceptionally difficult time.
7% Local council need to curb their spending.
7% Rate increase must not be more than the general rate of inflation.
7% The original part of One Tree Point - the first houses in this area on OTP Rd are forgotten. There is continuous flooding off OTP Rd which I know is classed as an open drain but why can’t we have a better road edge. And when are WDC going to do something with the boat ramp which is a serious hazard to foot traffic. due to algae on the ramp. Where is the concrete jetty to save further injuries?
10.90% As long as it is focused on infrastructure upgrades or maintenance, or debt repayment.
10.90% This town is a disgrace, it is unkempt and unsafe. No one with money goes to town, no one with money goes out in public much because it is unsafe and it does not make you want to be out and about in it. I am a business owner, and I am surrounded by vape stores and liquor shops and the culture around my space is horrible, unkempt, rubbish ridden and there is no presence of police or security. If people do not want to spend money on making Whangarei a beautiful space where people like spending time it will only become worse and worse. If I didn’t have a business here I would 100% be consider moving to another town. The fact that people don’t want to spend money on rates and road taxes is the problem. This attitude of take take take take take is what is rotting this country.
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