A rates (handi)cap to throttle GDP 'growth, growth, growth'

The Kākā by Bernard Hickey · Dec 1, 2025 · 11m

Briefly in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Tuesday, December 2:

* The Government has announced plans to specify council rates increases in a range of 2-4% from mid-2029, which is a higher range and later than some councils expected. That would outlaw zero rates increases and tie rates to a range between Consumer Price Inflation and GDP growth.

* However, the rates controls don’t cover water charges, other fines and fees, and do not exclude spending on roads, rail and bridges, which councils had hoped for.

* Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown, who has just confirmed…