Tauranga Rally Urges City Council To Cut Rates Amid Proposed 12% Hike
About 250 people attended a rally at Tauranga's Memorial Park urging the city council to reduce rates.
Act list MP Cameron Luxton spoke to the crowd before they marched to The Strand in the city centre on Sunday.
Rally organiser Jan Gyenge wanted Tauranga City Council to find $40 million in savings because she said the proposed 12% rates increase was 'unsustainable'.
If the council could save $40m it could deliver a 0% residential rate increase, she told Local Democracy Reporting before the event.
Gyenge said the rally went well and there was great engagement from the attendees.
The crowd stopped outside the new council offices on Devonport Rd and sported signs asking council to 'stop the spend' and 'respect ratepayers'.
The rally was not the end but a platform for people to share their concerns, Gyenge said.
Last week the council heard from submitters on its Annual Plan for 2025/26.
The plan received 968 written submissions and 96 people asked to speak to the council directly.
The council would deliberate on its Annual Plan on May 26.
Mayor Mahé Drysdale previously said the plan tried to strike a balance between investing in the city and affordability for ratepayers.
The council had already found $29m in savings to get to 12%, and was working to find more to get the final number down to 10% or lower.
- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
12 hours ago
- Scoop
Cameron Road Changes To Remain At Seventh And Twelfth Avenues
Roading improvements at Seventh Avenue and Twelfth Avenue made as part of the 2021-2024 upgrade of Cameron Road will remain in place it was decided yesterday. Tauranga City Council's City Delivery Committee was presented with options for the future of the two city centre intersections following concerns raised by local businesses about the improvements limiting their customers' ability to reach them. For Seventh Avenue, there was also concern that reduced access was affecting leasing opportunities. Councillors acknowledged that the feedback received from the community did not give this outcome unanimous support but they were making decisions for the future. They recognised that businesses had already suffered from long delays on Cameron Road Stage 1, and they felt that the roading improvements already made were the best option. A vote was carried to maintain the status quo of the Seventh Avenue cul de sac because reopening the intersection with Cameron Road would result in a loss of parking on Cameron Road which a recent survey identified was of high value to local businesses and had implications for the future form and function of Cameron Road. Parking concerns raised by both residents and businesses as part of the survey also identified the need to provide more parking in the area, so a vote was also carried to add additional on-street parking on Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Avenues. While there was real concern expressed for the challenges experienced by the businesses on Twelfth Avenue, a decision was made to keep the 'no right turn' from Cameron Road into Twelfth Avenue in place due to safety concerns with vehicles having to cross two traffic lanes, a bus lane and a cycleway when making a right turn into Twelve Avenue. Head of Transport Mike Seabourne told the committee that because the Cameron Road improvements had been designed to accommodate future growth in the city, particularly in Te Papa and Tauriko West, it was a very 'future-like' design which he acknowledged was 'awkward' for the community to understand and get behind. Councillor Kevin Schuler said it was important to address the parking issues identified in the Seventh Avenue area so he believed that should be done now and if there was still ongoing disquiet about the cul de sac that a decision about reopening it could be revisited later. Councillor Marten Rozeboom said reinstating a right turn into Twelfth Avenue from Cameron Road would affect the flow of traffic between Fifteenth Avenue and Elizabeth Street, and while some people were always disaffected or disadvantaged by change, it was working well for most of Tauranga. Councillor Rod Taylor said while the rush of the Cameron Road project and the impact of COVID-19 meant that consultation at the time 'wasn't 100%' there has now been an opportunity for the community to be heard. 'The result isn't going to be what everyone is wanting but the fact we've looked at it again is good for the community and a lot of people now understand the design of the road and long-term intention.'
Scoop
12 hours ago
- Scoop
Nelson City Council Adopts Annual Plan 2025/26, Confirming 6.5% Rates Increase
Nelson City Council has formally adopted its Annual Plan 2025/26, retaining the forecast average rates increase of 6.5%. The Annual Plan was adopted by Elected Members in a Council meeting on 5 June 2025, confirming it will proceed without significant changes from what was consulted on as part of Year Two of the Long Term Plan 2024-34. Nelson Mayor Nick Smith says the Annual Plan strikes a deliberate balance between financial prudence and investment in the city's long-term prosperity. 'This Annual Plan is about maintaining the services and infrastructure that underpin our lifestyle while facing up to the financial squeeze that's affecting households, businesses, and councils alike. 'Cost pressures have been considerable, with electricity costs up 20% and a new government water levy adding $290,000 a year. We've had to make difficult choices to stay on track, but we've delivered a 6.5% rates increase that is among the lowest of New Zealand's 78 councils.' In the Annual Plan, Council has also agreed to reduce the proportion of commercial rates from 22.6% to 22.3%. Project timing and budgets have been adjusted to manage inflation and revenue impacts. These include deferring the $2.6 million Civic House roof and ceiling tile upgrades to 2026/27, and postponement of the $1.3 million joint cemetery capacity purchase to 2027/28. Council has also re-phased funding to respond to storm recovery needs and upgrade the city's infrastructure to enable new development. This includes $778,549 in 2025/26 for the Haven/St Vincent culvert renewal, with additional funding carried forward from previous budgets, as well as $1.65 million for stormwater improvements on York Terrace and $773,000 for resilience works on Cleveland Terrace. In support of the local economy, Council has approved a $40,000 grant to the Nelson Tasman Chamber of Commerce to continue business mentoring services following the closure of Business Assist. Mayor Nick says the Plan highlights a shift in Council's priorities from storm recovery and repairs, to plans that advance revitalising the city. 'Over the past two years, our focus has been on recovery from the August 2022 storm — the most severe natural disaster in Nelson in over 50 years. With much of that repair work now well advanced, our attention is turning to city revitalisation. This includes projects like Bridge to Better, the new bus hub at Millers Acre, a new playspace at Rutherford Park, the Marina Promenade, and the launch of a new Arts Development Agency. 'These projects are more than just infrastructure — they are about preparing Nelson for the next generation, attracting investment, strengthening our links with the sea, and enriching community life.' The final Annual Plan 2025/26 will be published online and made available at Council's Customer Service Centre and local libraries from 1 July 2025.
Scoop
17 hours ago
- Scoop
Porirua City Council Makes Budget Decisions
Press Release – Porirua City Council The Councils Te Puna Krero committee met this morning to deliberate on the Annual Plan, which sets the citys budget for the coming financial year. After listening to feedback from residents Porirua City Council has made changes to next year's budget, including not increasing paid parking charges in the city or Cannons Creek pool entry fees. The Council's Te Puna Kōrero committee met this morning to deliberate on the Annual Plan, which sets the city's budget for the coming financial year. When preparing the draft Annual Plan, the starting point for this year's rates increases had increased from the planned 10 per cent to 15 per cent, due to cost pressures. Council acknowledged this wasn't sustainable for households and businesses, so took a hard look at internal operations to find cost savings. This process brought the new starting point for the average rates increase down to 6.75 per cent. Council consulted on five options, which if adopted would decrease the rates increase even further. A total of 343 submissions were received, with a mix of opinions on the items on the table. Committee Chair Councillor Ross Leggett thanked everyone who made submissions and shared their thoughts. 'Your feedback is shown in this paper and we do read and appreciate all of it,' he said. Of the options consulted on, the committee voted to discontinue the Chamber of Commerce grant and increase Council's building consent hourly rate. They voted against increasing the paid parking hourly rate, putting up Cannons Creek Pool entry fees, and discontinuing the Event Investment Programme. With these changes, the average rates increase for residential properties for the 2025/26 year will be 6.39 per cent, subject to confirmation by the full Council on 26 June. Mayor Anita Baker said everything possible was done to keep rates increases as low as possible. 'Nobody wants the big increases we saw last year and we know the community is struggling. The organisation has done a deep dive internally and made significant cuts that got us to a lower starting point than planned. 'In terms of the further cuts we could have made, we asked for feedback and we've listened to our people. That's why we are not supporting some of the ideas that were on the table.' Councillors spoke about the community benefits of swimming pools, the life that events bring to the city, and the need to support local businesses through keeping parking charges as they are.
