How low can you go? Waitomo strikes rates rise of under 4%

Wednesday, 1 July 2026

The Waitomo District Council stuck to its draft annual plan confirming a 3.8% rates rise, one of the lowest in the country.

Waitomo District ratepayers facing the possibility of a 5.3% average rates rise can breathe slightly easier after their council passed its annual plan with an average increase of 3.8%

The plan was passed unanimously by councillors at a meeting on Tuesday and includes a number of increases to user pays fees and charges used to offset the average, and also takes into account debt and services related to its water services.

However, when water and wastewater charges are excluded the increase is almost 2.9%.

Waitomo residents will see their council rates level out when water services are taken over by a new regional organisation.

Just nine other district councils have managed to keep rates rises below 5% for the coming financial year, including Waikato District at 3.8% and Carterton at 3.9%.

There was no debate among councillors, who had previously worked through the annual plan during previous workshops and meetings.

Chief executive Ben Smit said passing the plan was a “funny anti-climax … but there has been an immense amount of work that’s gone into this, and our very small team has put this together so well”.

Robertson said a conversation with Smit held late last year set the tone for this year’s rate rise.

“I say to my chief executive that inflation and CPI has been a certain number, and unless there's a good reason to go above that, I expect you to bring forward your rates proposals at a 3% level.”

“In Waitomo, we have held our average rate take increases over the last six and seven years to the level of the CPI.

“We've had to get efficient, we've had to do shared services, share the dog pound … shared building services with Otorohanga … and we have moved away from giving grants to regional organisations like Waikato Tourism.”

The Annual Plan sets the council’s budget, rates, policies, fees and charges for the financial year beginning July 1, 2026.

A council report said the rates revenue requirement for 2026/27, excluding water and wastewater, is $19.68 million, an increase of $550,000 on the previous year.

The report said the confirmed rates rise was lower than the 5.29% forecast in the long-term plan for the same year, and the council had worked through a process of “prioritising expenditure and reducing costs”.

Smit said the plan had been developed over the last seven months with council considering the current economic environment, while being mindful of rates affordability for the community.

The 3.8% increase was achieved after additional budget savings of $276,000 were identified across the organisation.

These included revenue from services provided to Waikato Waters Limited after the transfer of water and wastewater activities, reduced solid waste landfill operation costs, additional funding for silviculture costs, and other minor savings.

The plan also confirmed a Uniform Annual General Charge (UAGC) of $100, reduced from the current $250 and was put in place to “moderate the impact of removing district-wide benefit rates and bring more properties closer to the overall rates increase”.

Council will continue to charge for water and wastewater on behalf of Waikato Waters Limited from July 1, and pass that revenue on.

The plan also excludes the proposed relocation of the Awakino Transfer Station to Mōkau, following strong public opposition.

The council received 38 submissions on the draft plan, most related to the proposed transfer station move.

Most fees and charges are increasing by 3% in line with inflation, while some changes are being made to better recover costs.