Source: Porirua City Council
Porirua City Council is currently projecting on average a zero per cent increase to non-water rates for existing ratepayers in its draft 2026/27 Annual Plan, down from the almost 4 per cent increase that was previously proposed.
Rates for the 2026/27 year will also have the charges for water removed, which will see around 30 per cent come off bills, on average. The figures presented to the Te Puna Kōrero Committee today project that there will be no increase added onto the bills for residential non-water rates. This is an average, so some rates bills may see a small decrease, while others may have a slight increase.
The new projection comes after factoring in the impact of the recently released Quotable Value valuations on the spread of rates. The 0.1 per cent decrease is the average across all rating categories. The QV valuations significantly increased the value of utility properties at a time when many other property-type categories, including residential, decreased in value.
Figures are not finalised yet, but on current estimates the total weekly combined bills for Porirua residential households for council rates, Tiaki Wai water charges, and Greater Wellington Regional Council rates are estimated to increase on average around $228 per year, which is $4 per week.
The draft Annual Plan will be considered and adopted at the Council meeting on 25 June.
Mayor Anita Baker said it was a great result to have been able to avoid any rate increases for the average existing residential ratepayer, at a time when communities were facing financial pressure.
“We’ve worked really hard to reduce costs wherever we can. We had predicted we would need to increase non-water rates but to now be able to land on a zero increase is a win for our communities at a time when everyone is feeling the pinch.
“I’m proud of the effort the council has made to reduce the burden on ratepayers. And we’ve achieved this zero increase without cutting services and without reducing maintenance work. We are continuing to invest in the things that keep our city running and support the quality of life people expect.
“Significantly, we’ve also achieved a balanced budget and will fully rates fund depreciation, which means we’re not pushing costs down the line to future generations.
“The need for more water investment to fix the ageing infrastructure means that household costs will still increase, but with no increase to our council rates the impact on Porirua people will be much lower than originally thought.”
Te Puna Kōrero Committee Chair, Councillor Josh Trlin, said for many years the Council had been laser focused on turning the ship around on decades of underinvestment.
“We’ve made hard calls around investing in the most impactful and important infrastructure projects and reducing our deficit to achieve a balanced budget. That has been slow, hard work, but it’s shifted Council’s books into the healthiest position they’ve been in for a very long time,” he said.
“Zero percent rates increase. Zero cuts to services. On track to a fully balanced budget – how good does that feel?
“To our residents, we know your rates bill is only one part of the puzzle when it comes to household budgets, but it is my sincere hope that this year’s zero percent increase will offer some relief.”