The Taxpayers’ Union is congratulating Whanganui District Council for delivering what may be the lowest rates increase in the country — just 2.2 percent for 2025/26 — at a time when most councils are hitting ratepayers with double-digit hikes.

“This is what responsible local government looks like,” says Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tory Relf.

“While other councils cry poor, Whanganui is showing leadership — sticking to the basics, tightening its belt, and putting ratepayers first.”

“Whanganui has proved it’s possible to balance the books without hammering households. Other councils should take note.”

Responding to news that Wellington City Council’s consultant costs have more than doubled since 2020, Taxpayers’ Union Spokesman Sam Warren said:

“This is incredibly insulting as a 12.0 percent rates increases has just been announced—on top of last year’s 16.9 percent hike. That’s more than a 30.9 percent compound increase to average rates in just two years.”

“Shedding a few roles just to replace them with overpaid consultants and higher paid bureaucrats on six-figure salaries isn’t saving. When’s it going to stop?”

“Claims made by Council that these higher salary and wage costs are reflected by ‘increased investment and delivery of services’ are a complete joke. Wellington locals need less waste and more efficiency from Council—and they’re getting the exact opposite.”

“It’s not rocket science. Council is making Wellington more expensive to live in. Cut the wasteful spending, learn to run lean, and get on with it—otherwise there won’t be anyone left in the city to pay your exorbitant wages.”

Environment Southland has supported the investigation for a ‘mega merger’ with its three other Southland councils that would see two unitary authorities emerge.

“Looking closer into how councils can better work together and reduce costs for the ratepayer is priority number one” said Sam Warren, Local Government Campaigns Manager for the Taxpayers’ Union.

“Any genuine effort to reduce the burden on ratepayers is a good thing. But let’s not pretend big council automatically translates to better council. Auckland’s Super City is case in point, where the only result was greater bureaucracy and empire-building.”

"Collaboration has been done effectively elsewhere, like between Manawatū and Whanganui councils, where better efficiencies have been found as well as cost sharing."

“Change for the sake of change is not the solution. Proceed with caution and keep the local community involved in every aspect of the process.”

The Taxpayers’ Union is slamming the Government’s decision to expand the rates relief regime for SuperGold cardholders, describing it as a ‘bailout for wasteful councils’.

Taxpayers’ Union Spokesman, James Ross said “Instead of forcing local councils to live within their means, Simon Watts has caved to the pressure from Local Government New Zealand by issuing deficit spending to 'shut up the oldies' complaining about unaffordable rates. It will mean councils will be under even less pressure to reign in their costs, and shifts the burden of out-of-control rates onto taxpayers.”

“Shifting costs from retiree ratepayers onto taxpayers does not make councils more efficient or tackle the costs of living. It’s why we need rates capping right now - as done in some states in Australia and councils across the UK."

“While the Minister refused to meet the likes of the Federated Farmers, the Taxpayers’ Union, and other groups concerned about rates - those dinners with LGNZ and council-lovies have clearly worked. They get a bailout, while ratepayers and taxpayers fly in the wind."

Wellington’s new chief executive, Matt Prosser, has received a warm welcome in the form of a special morning tea and welcome lunch, costing more than $12,000, courtesy of ratepayers.

“Atrocious first day for the new boss given rates are expected to increase by as much as 15.9 percent this year alone.” said Sam Warren, the Local Government Campaigns Manager for the Taxpayers’ Union.

“Seriously, whoever thought this was a good idea is the perfect depiction of what’s gone wrong with Wellington City Council. A half-day event costing this much is an insult.”

“Prosser, who is on a salary of more than half a million, says he ‘looks forward to understanding how best to serve Wellington’. I can tell him now, the best way to serve Wellington is leading by example and say ‘no’ to even more extravagant spending."

“Wellington needs a leader that can cut through the waste and focus on getting rates to an affordable level. He’s off to a poor start, we’ll be watching him closely.”

Responding to Hamilton City Council's proposed increase of 25.5% for the 2024/25 financial year, and subsequent 14.1% rate hikes for the following four years, Taxpayers’ Union Head of Campaigns, Callum Purves, said:

“While Hamilton City Council might be trying hard to sell the idea that there is no other choice when it comes to funding its water infrastructure, it’s evident that the financial crisis it now finds itself in has been driven by years of wasteful spending.

“Just last year, our 2023 Ratepayers Report revealed the Council had spent over $315m on contractors and consultants – more than three times that of Auckland Council – and pays nearly a quarter of its staff salaries over $100,000. It’s that there is still plenty of fat the Council could trim to allow investment in vital infrastructure while protecting ratepayers from eye-watering rate hikes.

“Double-digit rate hikes have become a worrying trend across New Zealand’s local councils and now you’d be hard-pressed to find any council with a rate increase below the level of inflation. It’s high time our local authorities start cutting back on the nice-to-haves and stop expecting ratepayers to keep bailing them out."

Wellington City councillors have been given advice recommending they alter the district plan to prevent housing intensification across huge swathes of the city.

Commenting on this, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said:

“Wellington is deep in a housing crisis, and whether you’re looking to buy or rent there simply is not enough to go around. Prices are skyrocketing, and the only solution to this is to build more homes.

“Red tape has stifled development for decades. The crisis won’t end without serious RMA reform from central government, but that doesn’t mean the council can’t make it worse. The advice given to councillors would push Wellington’s housing market to breaking point.

“Wellingtonians need rooves over their heads, and so the city needs to build up and build out. As much as the council might like to try and bury its head in the sand, not building at all is not an option.”

The Taxpayers’ Union is slamming Selwyn District Council for proposing a 16% rate hike in the first stage of a cumulative 45.89% rates hike over three years.

“Yet again we are seeing a council completely fail to be prudent with its spending proposals, and is now asking its already-burdened ratepayers for an extra arm and a leg to bail them out,” Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, says.

“From a council that just last year was able to keep its rates increase under the level of inflation to now looking at dropping double-digit rate hikes for the next three successive years is an unacceptable turn of events that has blind-sided Selwyn’s ratepayers.

“The council should be tightening their belt like households all across the district are forced to do when costs rise. This includes trimming the fat in the Council’s back office bureaucracy, letting go of gold-plated vanity projects and seriously considering the sale of under-utilised or unnecessary assets.”

The Taxpayers’ Union is throwing its weight behind calls for the powers of Tauranga’s unelected Commissioners to be curtailed in the run-up to the return of democracy to the city, and urges Local Government Minister Simeon Brown to step in.

Commenting on this, Taxpayers’ Union Policy Adviser, James Ross, said:

“Unelected Commissioners in Tauranga have spent years tossing around ratepayers’ money with reckless abandon, all safe in the knowledge that they will never be accountable to the rate-paying public.

“Although it is three-and-a-half years too late, democracy will be returning to Tauranga this year; the Commissioners cannot be allowed to put that in jeopardy. The long-term plan will set the city’s course for the next decade, and this must only be decided by the elected representatives of Tauranga residents.

“We’re already seeing the damage at a national level that an outgoing government can inflict by signing long-term contracts that they know will be overturned. This is damaging to both business confidence and to the public’s back pockets, and this cannot be allowed to be inflicted on the city by Commissioners without an electoral mandate.”

Commenting on Christchurch City Council’s plans to bid to host the Commonwealth Games, Taxpayers’ Union Policy Adviser, James Ross, said: 

“Mayor Phil Mauger wants to show the world that Christchurch is back on its feet. But he’d be better off proving this to Christchurch residents first. 

“With the Council group neck deep in around $25,000 in debt per residential ratepayer and expected rates rises well into the double figures, Christchurch is in no position to be throwing billions of dollars in ratepayers’ hard-earned money into the wind on games which have already been canned across the ditch for proving far too expensive.

“Whilst core infrastructure like the Pages Road Bridge is still to be fully repaired following the earthquake, the Council even considering wasting billions on exorbitant vanity projects is an insult to the residents who have worked so hard to bring their city back from the brink.”