Rodney’s Rates Shock – Why It Happened and What Needs Fixing
9 August 2025 Unprecedented Increases in Rodney and Franklin
Many Rodney residents have opened their latest Auckland Council rates bill to discover increases of 20%, 30% or more. These rises are far beyond the 5.8% increase the public was told to expect during the Council’s consultation earlier this year. I share the same frustration and disbelief as everyone who has been blindsided by these unacceptable increases. 
The elected Local Board members, the Councillors and the public have all been completely blindsided. Rodney is not alone in facing this. The Franklin ward at the southern rural end of Auckland is experiencing the same sharp increases. Both of our wards, which are furthest from the CBD, are carrying a disproportionate share of the rates burden this year — all without an increase in Council services or spending in our areas. That is not natural justice and is completely unreasonable – especially in a cost of living crisis.
How the Capital Value Revaluation Drove the Increases
The root of the problem lies in Auckland Council’s capital value (CV) revaluation process. Across Auckland, property values fell by an average of 9.1%. However, in Rodney and Franklin — particularly in rural and lifestyle areas — most property values either held steady or increased. Many properties in our rural and beachside settlements also held up their CV values.
Rates are allocated according to relative property values. This means if an area’s CVs drop less than the Auckland average, that area ends up paying a larger portion of the city’s total rates bill. Because Rodney’s CVs remained stable or went up, our ratepayers have been forced to shoulder a disproportionate share of the overall increase, even though the total amount collected by Council has not changed from what the average 5.8% rate increase was intended to raise across Auckland. Even properties whose CVs decreased were not immune from a rate increase of some amount.
The Uneven Impact Across Auckland
The differences across Auckland are striking. Urban suburbs such as Mt Roskill had an average rates increase of 1.9%, Royal Oak 1.5%, Mangere 1.0%, and Point Chevalier only 0.6%. In contrast, many Rodney households are facing double-digit percentage rises. This is happening without any matching increase in Council services for our communities. The result is that Rodney’s ratepayers are contributing far more while the benefits are flowing to other parts of the city.
Failings in the Current System
Two major failings in the current system have created this outcome.
First, the timing of the CV release. The revaluation results were not made public until June, yet the public consultation about a 5.8% rate increase took place back in February. Therefore, elected members had no forewarning about the large drop in CV values or how they would affect Rodney – no warning to them, and equally no warning for the public.
Second, the absence of a cap on how much any one property’s rates can increase in a single year. Without a maximum on the percentage rates can increase by, extreme increases are possible, and as we have now seen, they can hit certain areas far harder than others. 
The Changes Needed Now
This situation is unacceptable, needs fixing and it cannot be allowed to happen again. I have already written to both the Mayor and the Chief Executive of Auckland Council, calling for a cap on annual rates increases. Such a safeguard would prevent one community from being disproportionately burdened and would ensure the impact of any future rate adjustments is spread more evenly across all Aucklanders.
I am also advocating for this cap to be applied retrospectively to the current year’s bills so that residents experiencing the most extreme increases can receive immediate relief.
Looking ahead, it is critical that the CV revaluation process is better aligned with the rates-setting process. The results must be released in time to inform public consultation and decision-making. Without this, we risk repeating the same mistake every three years when CVs are recalculated.
What Residents Can Do Now
In the meantime, there is one immediate step residents can take if they believe their new CV is inaccurate. You can request a review from Auckland Council. This requires providing evidence, such as recent comparable property sales, to support your claim. While this may not completely reverse the increase in your rates, it could reduce the amount you are required to pay if the CV is adjusted downwards. You can object and send data via the Auckland Council call centre via email or online. ( See the Auckland Council website for Contact them details).
Standing Up for Rodney
The fight for a fairer system must continue. Rodney deserve fairness, transparency, and a genuine say in how rates are set.
Rodney’s communities should not be treated as the city’s ATM cash machine. We agreed to a 5.8% increase, not 30%, and the difference between those numbers represents a serious breach of trust in the process.
Immediately upon hearing what had happened I called an emergency meeting with the Rodney Local Board members . We agreed a cap on annual increases, earlier release of CV data, and a fairer distribution of the rates burden are all essential steps. These measures would protect our communities from being unfairly penalised simply because their property values did not follow the same downward trend as the rest of Auckland.
It is totally unacceptable that the public were not advised in advance about how large the rate increases were going to be. That is disgraceful.
Demanding Accountability and Public Answers
I support the public having the chance to ask questions directly of the Council. Accordingly I have asked for public meetings, or online question-and-answer sessions, from the CEO of Auckland Council to be arranged.
This is not just about this year’s rates bills. It is about ensuring that in future, every Aucklander — whether they live in the city or in a rural-based community — is treated with the same fairness and respect when it comes to how rates are set and distributed. I am committed to getting this sorted, as are my fellow colleagues on the Local Board.