Whakatāne District Council’s average rates rise of 11.7 percent is 15th highest in New Zealand while Bay of Plenty Regional council has been ranked the third lowest on a Rates Dashboard published by the Taxpayer’s Union.

The Rates Dashboard ranks all 11 regional councils and 67 territorial authorities such as city and district councils according to their average rate rises for the 2025/2026 financial year.

It states that the average rates rise across the country is 8.39 percent.

The lowest is Wanganui with just 2.2 percent while Clutha District Council is the highest with 16.59 percent.

While Bay of Plenty Regional Council ranks low, with a reported 3 percent rates rise, this figure takes into account only general rates, not targeted rates.

In its Long-term Plan for 2024-34, the regional council had budgeted for a year two average rates increase of 8.2 percent for general rates and 6.3 percent for general rates.

To address the issue of rates affordability the council reduced this to and average 3 percent for general rates and lowered average targeted rates by 2 percent.

The dashboard also ranks the councils on their cumulative rates rises over the past three years.

Using this measure, the regional council ranks lowest in New Zealand for rates increases at 17.02 percent.

Whakatāne ranks 18th with 40.66 percent.

The highest is West Coast Regional Council with 65.57 percent.

Ōpōtiki District Council’s 9.8 percent average rates rise for this year ranks 25th highest and its 41.95 percent cumulative increase over three years is 16th highest.

Kawerau ranks 42nd in this year’s average rates rise with 8.5 percent and 46th in three year cumulative with 31.72 percent.