On 17 April 2025, Property Council submitted on Tauranga City Council’s Draft Annual Plan 2025/26 and Development Contributions Policy.
Why this matters to our members
The Draft Annual Plan 2025/26 outlines the direction of Tauranga City Council for the next twelve months and will influence outcomes across Tauranga. It is important that decisions made by the Council have fair and equitable outcomes for the property sector.
Our view
The Property Council opposes the proposed Annual Plan due to operational costs exceeding revenue. Furthermore, Tauranga City Council proposes increasing residential rates by 12 per cent for residential ratepayers and between 16.3 per cent and 19.6 per cent for commercial and industrial ratepayers. This is a significant increase for commercial and industrial ratepayers.
We suggest cost savings through reductions in employee and consultant expenses. We suggest revenue generation from exploring alternative funding and financing solutions and spreading the rating base more equitably.
We also oppose the draft development contributions policy and recommend pausing it until a new levy system is established to provide certainty for developers.