Taking responsibility now avoids passing costs to future generations.

Why do rates keep rising?

Fundamentally, every organisation needs to keep pace with things like inflation and increased prices.  

In setting the 2026/27 budget, the council was faced with over $213 million of budget pressures from fuel, inflation and existing funding challenges. Essentially, a potential 15% rates increase has managed to stay at 7.9%. 

The introduction of the City Rail Link added a further $235 million of operating costs to the budget as we introduce an asset that is going to transform our public transport network. The CRL will change how we all move about the region – even if you don’t take a train, your commute may be less congested or your trip into a show just got easier. 

Beyond 2026/27, we are forecasting 3.5% rates increases in the years ahead. 

Rates contribute about 40% of council income and contribute significantly to delivering a better Auckland. Rates help us to improve quality-of-life and make Auckland a great place to live. 

Your rates enable us to invest in services and activities for your communities – improving public transport, maintaining parks, museums and art galleries, environmental services, rubbish collection and community facilities. 

Read more about what we’re doing next year on OurAuckland. 

What will we get out of the CRL?

As a significant investment for Auckland in 2026, the CRL will deliver more frequent trains across the network, new routes across town on a single train and more direct journeys into the city centre.  

Once the CRL opens, Auckland’s more integrated transport system will benefit the whole region. 

The CRL will double the number of people who’ll experience a 30 minute or less train journey to a station in the city centre. Aucklanders living further from rail lines will have improved service connections between trains and buses. For example: 

• if you’re travelling from Henderson peak morning to midtown, you’ll save 24 minutes in travel time using the new Te Waihorotiu Station.
• if you’re based in South Auckland, you’ll get new direct train connections to more places in the city, including Grafton, Karangahape Rd and Midtown.
• for people living on the North Shore or in the eastern suburbs, they can connect to trains via rapid and/or frequent buses. 

How does the CRL benefit the economy?

Increased train frequency and improved access will encourage growth in jobs, and help reinvigorate Auckland. The infrastructure investment will deliver a significant return on the council’s 50 per cent stake in the project.  

CRL is more than just a 3.45 km tunnel; it is the centrepiece of a significant improvement in public transport connectivity, capacity and level of service.  

The city centre generates 21 per cent of Auckland’s GDP and has by far the highest concentration of jobs in New Zealand. The CRL significantly increases connectivity for people to reach the city centre by public transport.  

Waitematā Station tracks will continue through, increasing train frequencies into the city, to the south and west of Auckland, and transport interchanges at Wellesley Street and Karanga-a-Hape have been developed to host high volumes of people and connecting buses. 

It’s not just for Aucklanders’ daily commute, together with the recently-opened NZ International Convention Centre, and private-sector developments in the area, the CRL is helping us attract more events to the city, making it easier to access conference and event venues, and for visitors to explore the region on public transport. 

What is Auckland Council doing to tighten its belt?

As a council, we continue to focus on delivering better transport, reliable infrastructure, local services, and getting the basics right. This year we will deliver $106 million in savings, while also seeking out ways to deliver even more value to our ratepayers. 

The $106 million savings targets is already larger than the rates revenues of 54 other councils.  

Savings reduce what could have been an even higher rates rise – $106 million equates to saving 3.5 per cent of rates. 

The internal rigour to deliver better value through projects and investments also continues. Our ongoing focus on driving value for every dollar to manage new priorities and changing demands for the future is actioned through value for money reviews, a Better Value Projects approach, a focus on non-rates revenue and sales of under-utilised assets.