Hauraki District Council’s Annual Plan for 2026/27 has been adopted, and with it a rates increase of 8.9 per cent.
The average residential property rates bill will increase by $210, or 58 cents per day, from July 1.
Additionally, the average residential water bill will increase by $364, or $1 per day, for those connected to both wastewater and water.
The annual plan will also increase the council’s borrowing capacity to a maximum debt ceiling of $173 million – up $5 million from what was previously forecast.
According to the annual plan, the main reasons for the rates hikes are an increase in roading depreciation expenses from $5.3 million to $9.7 million; a $900,000 increase in costs to repair deteriorating footpaths coupled with a $1.1 million reduction of pavement rehabilitation in line with Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Authority funding; and a $3.7 million forecast increase in overall operating expenditure.
Meanwhile, changes in Government legislation are behind the rise in water and wastewater costs, as these services face increased compliance requirements in preparation for their transfer to the newly-formed council-controlled organisation Waikato Water Limited next year.
Alongside the annual plan, the council also approved its Fees and Charges schedule for the 2026/27 year with only minor changes from the previous year. The main changes include an increase to some building consent fees, adjustment to project value bands, and the introduction of a fee for project information memorandums (PIMs) for small standalone dwellings such as granny flats.
Dog registration fees will also increase slightly, to cover increased operational costs.
The annual plan will be available on the council’s website from May 31.
