Rates pay for services and facilities that make Auckland a great place to live, including rubbish and recycling collections, public transport improvements, roads, footpaths, libraries, park and beach maintenance, swimming and recreation facilities, and much more.
This year Auckland will complete its three-year move to a single rates system. This will make rates fairer because residential properties of a similar value will be charged a similar amount of general rates, no matter where they are in Auckland.
There are several reasons why your rates may have changed in 2015/2016. Some of the changes are the same for all ratepayers, such as the increase in general rates and the inclusion of the Interim Transport Levy.
Other changes are specific to your property, and are affected by factors such as:
•your property’s value, based on the 2014 revaluation
•the end of the transition to the single rates system, which means rates increases and decreases are no longer capped.
Help paying your rates
Rates bills will be sent out in early August. If you think you will struggle to pay your rates once you have received your bill, please get in touch with us so we can help spread your payments over the year, assist with postponement and discuss whether you are eligible for the rates rebate. You can contact us on 09 301 0101.
Thank you for your feedback on the 10-year budget, which is helping to shape Auckland for the next decade and beyond. More than 27,000 Aucklanders had their say, and the message was clear: keep rates low and debt affordable, and finally start fixing our transport problems.
Visit aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/longtermplan to find out about the consultation process and the feedback we received.