Summary
- Whanganui District Council is reported to have an average rates increase of only 2.2%.
- Local Democracy Reporting (via RNZ) claims that around the country for 2025-2026 the “average rates hike is about 8.7 percent, compared with last year’s 14 percent”.
- Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe has offered advice to other councils in the media “after the city achieved the lowest rates rise in the country”.
- RNZ reported on Mayor Tripe’s advice for maintaining core services and investing in infrastructure while achieving minimal rates increases. They quote the Mayor as saying “All we have done is been more efficient with what we’ve got – doing more with less.”
- RNZ had earlier paraphrased the Mayor, stating “Tripe said the council has focused on doing the basics well, investing in core infrastructure, and involving the community in decision-making”.
- It has been reported that Whanganui District Council is also increasing its loan repayments and plans to “Pay off an additional $590,000 of debt”.
Quotes
“Whanganui District Council is sticking to an average rates increase of 2.2 percent following deliberations on its draft Annual Plan.
Mayor Andrew Tripe believes it’s the lowest rise in the country for the year ahead.
The plan for 2025/26 will go before the council in June to be adopted.
Tripe said the council has focused on doing the basics well, investing in core infrastructure, and involving the community in decision-making.
The big topics thrashed out by the council in this week’s deliberations were creating a standalone housing entity to grow housing stock, adopting a new strategy for Whanganui, changes to fees and charges, and increasing loan repayments.
In each case, community feedback aligned with the council’s preferred options.”
Is this the lowest rates rise in the country? Whanganui council holds firm on 2.2 percent, RNZ, 15 July 2025
“Early on in my mayoralty I realised that things were going to get tough… along with my chief executive, I sent him away to put
together a five point plan, he came back with a six point plan to find cost savings and efficiency, so we went hard, went early
on this – it’s no fluke…
…All we have done is been more efficient with what we’ve got – doing more with less”
Mayor Andrew Tripe as quoted by RNZ in Whanganui mayor’s advice after achieving lowest rates rise in New Zealand, 15 July 2025
Tripe reiterated that cost saving cuts – apart from a minor change to library opening hours – were not made to council facilities.
He said his advice to other councils was to stop making excuses and come up with a solid plan.
“I’ve got a saying – no result plus a good excuse equals no result. For me, don’t make excuses, get on with it and put a very very solid plan together.
He said the the six-point plan contributed to keeping the rates rise to 2.2 percent this year.
Whanganui mayor’s advice after achieving lowest rates rise in New Zealand, RNZ, 15 July 2025
Article Details
Headline: Is this the lowest rates rise in the country? Whanganui council holds firm on 2.2 percent
Author: Moana Ellis
Published on: 29 May 2025
Published by: RNZ
Headline: How Whanganui achieved lowest rates in the country
Author: Moana Ellis
Published on: 14 July 2025
Published by: RNZ
Link: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/566846/how-whanganui-achieved-lowest-rates-in-the-country
Headline: Whanganui mayor’s advice after achieving lowest rates rise in New Zealand
Published on: 15 July 2025
Published by: RNZ
