Third lowest rates rise for South Taranaki

South Taranaki is on track to have the third lowest rates rise out of 67 district and city councils in New Zealand this year.

A Local Democracy Reporting investigation has also found Taranaki Regional Council is sitting third-equal lowest of the country’s 11 regional councils.

All councils are under pressure from cost increases, with consumer inflation hitting 5.9 per cent in the December quarter, and construction inflation even higher.

South Taranaki District Council was currently proposing a 3.79 per cent rise, but aimed to prune that to below 3 per cent, said communications manager Gerard Langford.

“STDC is still working to reduce further and is likely to have a 2.84 per cent total average rate increase when we go out with our 2022/23 Annual Plan early May.”

If that reduction became reality, South Taranaki would be bettered only by Waitomo and the Chatham Islands, which LDR found have proposed 2 per cent and 2.5 per cent rises respectively.

The proposed South Taranaki rates rise is currently fifth lowest, so it could be pipped for the bronze medal by any of about a dozen councils proposing rises of around 4 per cent or lower, if they made deeper cuts.

The impact on individual ratepayers is unclear, as it depends on how much their property has increased in value compared with other properties in the district.

“We have had a district revaluation in September last year, which complicates things, which is why we aren’t yet ready to go out with the Annual Plan.”

The plan is due in early May.