Your rates in action: Auckland’s thriving communities

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Your rates in action: planning for Auckland’s future

In the last three months, your rates have been working hard to provide more reliable services for Aucklanders and support the region’s priorities. Below is a snapshot of your rates in action.

Getting ready for the City Rail Link

The new City Rail Link (CRL) routes have been announced – helping Aucklanders’ understanding of the new transport system, coming in 2026. The CRL will help provide faster journeys, new direct travel options and better access to the city centre.

Community conservation efforts 

The council provides support and funding for volunteers and communities to care for green spaces and help achieve conservation goals. 

• Natural Environment Targeted Rate funding is supporting the Connect to Nature programme, engaging diverse communities through planting events, workshops and guided walks. In recent months, over 1000 students and volunteers planted 7000 native plants, and more than 320 people attended eight events, including Conservation Week activities, te taiao hīkoi and Auckland’s first event for the deaf community. 
• The Trees for Survival programme has achieved remarkable success this winter planting season (April-September), with 4,190 students, teachers, sponsors and supporters growing and planting 94,277 native trees along 12.4 km of Auckland waterways.
• A larger number of local natural environment and sustainability projects with local community groups and volunteers is being supported by the council’s environmental services team. The number of projects has increased from 110 in 2024/2025 (with a budget of $3.9 million) to 159 projects in 2025/2026, with a budget of $7.6 million.  
• The local parks winter planting season finished in September. Over 230 events were delivered by community partners and our park rangers, planting over 130,000 natives. 

Our libraries and pools continue to thrive

Auckland libraries have been busy in recent months, with strong performance seeing 2.2 million visitors and 4.5 million items checked out (July-September). E-issues are driving increased demand.

Pool and leisure centre visits across Auckland rose by 15.8 per cent against the quarterly target to 2.3 million.

Flood intelligence tech installed

We've installed hotspot cameras at key flood locations across Auckland. The new solar-powered cameras keep an eye on trouble spots during heavy rain and 100 cameras will be installed by 2026.

Using smart AI image recognition, the cameras can spot blockages like debris or vegetation before they cause flooding, helping our maintenance teams to respond faster. The cameras are also integrated with Auckland Transport and Emergency Management systems to keep communities safter. 

Climate action rate helps reduce emissions

The Climate Action Transport Targeted Rate (CATTR) continues to progress its goals to increase low carbon public transport and other initiatives to help reduce regional emissions.

• Works for the Half Moon Bay ferry charger were completed under the CATTR Ferry programme, supporting ferry fleet decarbonisation.
• Preliminary design for the Kelston–New Lynn Cycleway CATTR project was endorsed by the Whau and Waitākere Ranges Local Boards, with construction planned for mid-2026.
• Project list for walking projects in Manurewa includes four new crossings near schools, with delivery starting in late 2026.

The Long-term Plan 2024-2034 is delivering Solar upgrades completed at Ngāti Ōtara Sports Park and Ōrewa Library as part of Project Gigawatt to reduce organisation emissions and lower energy costs.

Auckland Council is working hard to keep your rates down and deliver value, while strengthening Auckland’s financial and physical resilience, and investing appropriately to manage growth.

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What we’re focusing on next

Our Annual Plan 2025/2026 is underway.

Our annual plan continues with a strong focus on getting on with delivering on the priorities and investments in the Long-term Plan 2024-2034 and the investments included in year two.

Check out what the Annual Plan 2025/2026 means for you.

Our Long-term Plan 2024-2034 is our 10-year plan for Auckland.

The long-term plan underpins our annual plan, and ultimately focuses on our physical and financial resilience, while investing where it is needed most to manage growth. We are focused firmly on delivering this while recognising cost of living concerns and providing the greatest benefit to our communities.

To learn more about our investment priorities for your rates, see the Long-term Plan 2024-2034.

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Your rates help deliver a wide range of day-to-day activities and services, and support investment in Auckland’s assets.

For 2025/2026, Auckland has some of the lowest rates rises in the country, at 5.8 per cent for the average value residential property (around $223 a year, or $4.29 a week)*.

We are working hard to keep your rates down by carefully balancing the need to strengthen the financial and physical resilience of Auckland, while investing where it is needed most to manage growth.

What your rates deliver

Your rates support community services and activities that make Auckland thriving and beautiful. This includes improving public transport, maintaining parks, providing local and regional events, delivering environmental services, rubbish collection and a variety of community facilities and services.

A rising population means your rates need to work hard to meet increasing demand for the activities and services council provides and supports.

Where we are investing

We’ve been planning for the region’s growth and our Long-term Plan 2024-2034 sets out how Auckland Council will use your rates to improve the daily lives of Aucklanders.

This includes making the most of what we have and investing where it is needed most. This involves extensive investment in capital projects across the region, as well as funding many services for Aucklanders.

The Annual Plan 2025/2026 includes $4.3 billion to be invested over the next 12 months in roads, pipes and transport infrastructure to further improve services to Aucklanders and build a more resilient region.

The capital investment is supported by significant $5.1 billion operating spend to continue delivering services such as parks, libraries and cultural events.

In the next 10 years, your rates will help deliver:

More travel choices
Better public transport and new travel solutions. This includes a $50 capped weekly public transport pass, the opening of City Rail Link in 2026, and coordinating bus and rail services to improve connections.

Safer, improved transport
Investments to alleviate congestion, improve public transport and address safety issues. This includes progressing a 30-year Auckland Integrated Transport Plan, progressing the Eastern Busway and installing driver safety screens on 1100 buses.

Future-proofing our water networks
This includes replacing the water supply in Huia and Nihotupu, completing the Snells Beach Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrade and wastewater upgrade in the city centre’s midtown area.

Flood protection
Reducing existing flood risks, prevention, awareness and preparation. This includes Making Space for Water projects to provide flood resilience at Te Ararata, Harania and Wairau Valley.

Rejuvenated neighbourhoods
Regeneration continuing in Wynyard Quarter, City Centre, Takapuna, Northcote, Henderson, Avondale, Maungawhau, Panmure, Onehunga, Papatoetoe, Manukau, Pukekohe and Ormiston.

Community investment
Increased sports and recreation facilities through a $35 million fund, continued library and digital services, community-led arts and cultural activities, and local development. Local boards have a new, fairer funding model to support local communities.

A transformed city centre
A City Centre Masterplan will deliver a vibrant city centre, regenerating midtown to benefit from the City Rail Link and progress toward transforming Wynyard Point, the port and waterfront.

Community focus
We are increasing community patrols and CCTV surveillance to keep people safe in our city centres. Improved resourcing for animal control services and increase capacity at shelters.

Food scraps collection
All urban households will have weekly kerbside food scraps collection. Rates-funded refuse collection will also be phased in for North Shore, Waitakere, Papakura, Franklin and Rodney.

A growing Auckland economy
Promoting Auckland as a great place to live, work, invest, study and visit – continuing our large cultural events and securing international and domestic events. This includes holding iconic cultural events such as Pasifika, Diwali and the Lantern Festival, along with international and domestic events including musicals, concerts and exhibitions.

Well-managed local government
The Auckland Future Fund will help improve the financial and physical resilience of the council. The council will also be progressing Maori outcomes and continuing with storm recovery activities.

Ensuring every rates dollar goes further
The council has introduced a new Value for Money programme to ensure ratepayers get value and cost-effectiveness across the organisation - which is on top of savings targets. For example, in 2025/2026 there is an additional $47 million savings target, bringing the total savings for the year to $86 million.

Want to learn more?

Our Long-term Plan 2024-2034 is our 10-year plan for Auckland.

It focuses on our physical and financial resilience, while investing where it is needed most to manage growth. We are doing this in a way that recognises cost of living concerns and provides the greatest benefit to our communities.

To learn more about all the investment priorities where your rates will go in the coming decade, see the Long-term Plan 2024-2034.

Our Annual Plan 2025/2026 is underway.

The plan continues with a strong focus on getting on with delivering on the priorities and investments in the Long-term Plan 2024-2034 and the investments included in year two.

Check out what the Annual Plan 2025/2026 means for you.

*This excludes the introduction of rates funded refuse service to certain areas of the city.