Waikato Regional Councillors have unanimously agreed on a 0.9% increase in rates revenue for 2026/27, which is down on the 1.4% estimated in February’s draft annual plan budget.
This increase is also below the 4.2% projected rates revenue increase included in the 2024-2034 Long Term Plan (LTP) for 2026/27, and the 5.7% increase in rates revenue in 2025/26, the Council said in a statement.
Applying unallocated prior year surpluses towards a one-off reduction in general rates revenue for 2026/27 accounts for 1.7% of the reduction, with the remaining 1.6% coming from changes staff and elected members made through the budget setting process, it stated.
Council Chair, Warren Maher says councillors are very pleased to be able to minimise the rates increase in a background of rising costs.
“We’ve gone through our processes from LTP, to draft budget to this annual plan and we’re really happy that we can maintain our critical work programme without handing ratepayers big increases,” he said.
“We’re also grateful to council staff for their time and effort to make it happen.”
The move means Council’s total rates revenue requirement from current ratepayers is $156.341 million – down from $157.076 million approved in February, the Chair confirmed.
