South Wairarapa ratepayers are paying double what they paid in 2015, on average. Photo: Emily Ireland
South Wairarapa's rates have more than doubled, on average, over the past 10 years.
The ratepayers in the southern district have borne the brunt of a cumulative increase of 138 percent since 2015, compared to about 58 percent in Masterton, and 70 percent in Carterton.
In the same time, the consumer price index has risen about 30 percent and wages have risen 47 percent nationally.
A Local Democracy Reporting analysis of rates rises since 2015 showed the lowest increases were seen in 2020 when Wairarapa's councils tried to lessen the blow to ratepayers amid economic uncertainty in the global pandemic.
Rates increases that year sat around the 2 percent mark for each Wairarapa council.
Then came the controversial 29 percent increase for South Wairarapa in 2021, which set the district on a trajectory resulting in a cumulative rates rise of almost 90 percent since then to today.
This is almost double in just four years.
Excluding this year's rise, rates went up a cumulative 64 percent, far greater than the 19 percent cumulative increase in local government operating costs for the same three-year period, as estimated by Infometrics.
Masterton and Carterton on the other hand have had a cumulative rise of 19 percent and 18 percent respectively for this time.
Ratepayers across Masterton and South Wairarapa will have recently received their rates bill for this quarter following the Long-Term Plan sign-off in Masterton and Enhanced Annual Plan sign-off in South Wairarapa.
But Carterton ratepayers will need to wait until their council adopts its Long-Term Plan in September after dozens of issues were signalled by the Office of the Auditor-General.
Because of the delay, rates invoices would likely offer three instalment dates instead of four.
A council spokesperson said this would likely impact how ratepayers budgeted for these payments.
Current weekly, fortnightly, and monthly direct debit arrangements remained in place and would continue as normal.
They would be adjusted once new rates invoices are issued and any payments made prior to this would be held in credit against relevant rates accounts.
Carterton District Council will meet on Wednesday at 9am for a workshop to discuss the Long-Term Plan.
Payment dates would be finalised at a council meeting on 31 July.
Average residential rates per district 2022/23*
- Carterton: $3938.81
- South Wairarapa: $3474.58
- Masterton: $2755.22
*From the 2023 Taxpayers Union Ratepayer Report
Figures used in this LDR analysis were the average rates increase as indicated by councils in their annual plans.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.