Porirua residents will soon have their say on a proposed 6.75 per cent rates increase as part of the Porirua City Council’s Annual Plan 2025/26 consultation.
The council’s Te Puna Kōrero Committee has approved the consultation process, which will run from 20 March to 20 April, allowing residents to provide feedback on the city’s budget, rates, and proposed cost-saving measures.
Mayor Anita Baker said the council had worked hard to bring the rates increase down from an initial projection of 15 per cent, acknowledging that steep increases are not sustainable for households or businesses.
“We’ve taken a long, hard look at our internal operations to see where we can make savings to help get rates lower,” she said. “By doing this, we’ve managed to cut this year’s planned rates increase to 6.75 per cent.”
Cost-Saving Measures Under Consideration
To reduce the rates increase further, the council is considering increasing some user fees and cutting certain grants. Among the proposals open for feedback are:
- Higher entry fees at Cannons Creek Pool
- Increased building consent fees
- 50-cent per hour increase in parking charges
- Cutting the Porirua Chamber of Commerce grant
- Reducing the Event Investment Programme funding (excluding Council-run events like Waitangi Day and Anzac Day)
Mayor Baker said the council was looking at alternative revenue sources rather than relying on high rates increases, but it wanted community input on which trade-offs were acceptable.
Last Year’s Record Increase
Last year, Porirua residents faced a 17.5 per cent rates hike, with an average increase of 18.4 per cent across the Wellington region. The council has stated that continuing increases at those levels is unsustainable and has focused on cutting internal costs to lower the burden on ratepayers.
Consultation Opens on 20 March
Porirua residents can provide feedback from 20 March until midnight on 20 April via written submissions, online forms, or video submissions.
The full consultation document and submission details will be available at poriruacity.govt.nz/consultation