Rates are up - here's what councillors are paying

Saturday, 26 July 2025

New rates increases are coming for Wellington homeowners.

Wellington ratepayers are about to feel the squeeze of a new rates bill - but how much are the people setting the bills paying themselves?

With another year of double-digit increases from the Wellington City Council, The Post asked each councillor what they were forking out, but mayor Tory Whanau declined to disclose her figures, and mayoral candidate Diane Calvert said she could not supply the information by deadline.

The increase, voted on about a month ago, will add $632 to the average ratepayer’s bill.

The Post asked Wellington City councillors how much they are paying in rates this year.

Council spokesperson Richard MacLean said with property values used to calculate the rates divide, it may well be higher than 12%, if your property’s capital value had decreased by less or increased by more than the average change in the latest revaluation.

Ratepayers can expect their first rate quarter rates invoice at the end of the month, or August 1 if it’s through the post, and for most, it is around 12%, including a sludge levy.

Home owners can check their indicative rates payable using the council’s Property Search tool, which was updated on Thursday morning.

How much have your rates gone up? email news@thepost.co.nz

Though Whanau declined, the rates search function shows hers have risen from $7238 to $7707, which is 6.48%, or $469.

Ben McNulty said his rates were up 9% this year, increasing by $400 from $4680 to $5080 for his Johnsonville home.

Tony Randle, another northern ward councillor, will have a rates rise of only 5.4% this year, increasing $332 from $6222 to $6554, which he attributed to the fall in property values across the ward since the last valuation, with his capital property valuation falling 25%.

In 2024, councillor Sarah Free saw her rates jump by a whopping 50%, however due to revaluations, this year they fell by 9%. Free was paying around $6600 in rates, around $1200 of that to the Regional Council.

Mayoral candidate and councillor Ray Chung’s rates have increased by $630, or 9%, increasing from $6948 to $7579, he said.

Deputy mayor Laurie Foon said the revaluation had seen her rates drop by $244.92 to $6852.

John Apanowicz lives in rural Ohariu Valley and does not pay sewerage and water connections. He said he paid a base rate which was now $6251, increasing by about 25%, or $1250.

“This is because rural values have had a small valuation decrease since the last valuation round.”

Tim Brown did not want to reveal the capital value, but could say he had seen a 7.5% increase, up $2006.

Iona Pannett could not be contacted.

Teri O’Neill, Nikau Wi Neera, Geordie Rogers, Rebecca Matthews and Nureddin Abdurahman don’t own homes.

Correction: An earlier version of this story said a third of councillors do not pay rates. They do pay rates through rent, but as non homeowners don’t receive a rates bill.