A 9.9% rates increase for 2025 ? Is that 9.9% for everyone ?

We see Gareth Green proudly announcing last week the rates increase this year has been brought down by a whole 0.4% - to what he states as a 9.9% increase for 2025.

First comment we’d make – this is more than 4 times the rate of inflation – so not sure how proud the NPDC should be of this figure.

Second comment we’d make – would this be an average increase of 9.9% ? So where people last year ended up with 14% and 19% increases with their rates – as they were at the top end of the average increases – what might their top end of the average increase be this year ? 13% and 18% ? People will find out when their rates bill arrives in July.

Gareth considers 0.4% to be rates “screwed down and really hard work”.

We’re pretty sure a lot of businesses in New Plymouth have been doing some really hard work on reducing their costs by a lot more than 0.4% to keep up with the rising costs of doing business.

And we’re pretty sure there are a lot of New Plymouth households with a lot more that 0.4% in increased costs who have a lot less income to go around.

We do hope the NPDC are still thinking really hard about how the rates increases can be brought down much closer to the normal rate of inflation.