The draft Annual Plan 2026/27 continues Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s (Council) disciplined financial approach established through the Long-Term Plan (LTP) 2024–2034 and reinforced in the Annual Plan 2025/26.


Financial Context

  • The LTP forecast for 2026/27 (Year 3) was: General Rates +8.2%, Targeted Rates –1.1%.
  • Following a comprehensive budget review, we identified $2.7 million in savings and $3.9 million in additional funding requirements, which includes contributions for Lake Tarawera Sewerage and Ōpōtiki Harbour dredging funded from reserves.
  • These adjustments result in: General Rates +4%, Targeted Rates –1% (combined total).


Rates

The estimated total rates increase is approximately 2%, consisting of:

  • General Rates: 4% increase (including growth and inflation).
  • Targeted Rates: 1% reduction (largely due to reductions in Public Transport and Rotorua Catchments).

There are three different types of rates:

  • General
  • Targeted
  • Uniform Annual General Charge.

General rates are calculated based on your property’s land value, whereas the UAGC is a fixed charge applied per rating unit, regardless of the value of a property.

Targeted rates are used to fund work that benefits a particular group of ratepayers – meaning only those who benefit from that work pay for it.

Whether or not you will have to pay a particular targeted rate will depend on where your property is in the region.

Planning today for tomorrow


We have a focus on efficiency and effectiveness

Council is committed to reducing costs and ensuring that we deliver value for money wherever possible. We did a comprehensive budget review to identify cost savings and adjust the timing of expenditure, while maintaining focus on service delivery and strategic alignment.

These efforts identified net savings that have reduced rates increases that were projected in the LTP 2024-2034, resulting in a 4% increase in general rates and a 1% reduction in the combined total of targeted rates.


We will ensure the right people are paying for services

Council’s Revenue and Financing Policy sets out how each activity is funded – what is the right mix from fees and charges, general rates across the region and targeted rates.

The proposed breakdown of our rates for median properties in each district is below.

In addition, you can access the proposed rates for individual properties through our online calculator.