Tēnā koe,

Thank you for contacting us. Your request has been logged under the Local
Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987.

We will respond to your request as soon as possible and in any case no
later than within 20 working days.  

You can also call us freephone 0800 932 463. Please quote Request No.
OIA251570 if you require any further information.

If you would like to notify us about anything further regarding this
matter, you can reply to this email.

Ngā mihi,

Whangarei District Council

 

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Hello,

 

I refer to your request of 1 March 2025 for Information about “Housing
Developments”. Your request was referred to council’s Revenue Department
for consideration and answers to the following questions:

 

 

 1. How much does the council spend on roads, water, sewage, stormwater,
and rubbish collection for new housing developments?
This information is not available.

 2. How much revenue do these areas generate in rates?
Please note rates are set to meet the whole district's funding
requirements. Included in the total amount or rates revenue required,
is growth. The percentage for the 2024-2034 long term plan period is
1.3%. Information about this is available in the current Finance
Strategy which is part of the 2024-2034 Long Term Plan (volume 2, page
272).
[1]https://www.wdc.govt.nz/files/assets/pub...

 3.  Is there data showing the cost and revenue per household, person, or
land area?

o The current and past years' land rates for each property are available
online.
[2]https://www.wdc.govt.nz/Services/My-prop...
o Information is available for sample properties in the 2024-2034 Long
Term Plan (volume 1, pages 244-245).
[3]https://www.wdc.govt.nz/files/assets/pub...

 4. How do these costs and revenues compare to older suburbs like Onerahi,
Kamo, and Tikipunga?
No comparison of rates revenue between new subdivisions and
established suburbs has been made.

 5. Auckland Council found that rates from older suburbs and lower-income
areas were effectively subsidising the costs of new, low-density
housing developments on the outskirts. Has Whangarei District Council
conducted a similar study? If so, what were the findings?
The rates revenue has not been analysed by age of suburb.

 

The material represents our best efforts to locate relevant material.
However, the search process is by no means an exact science and given the
broad scope of your request it is possible that there may be other items
of relevance that have unintentionally been missed in the search.

 

I hope this information is some assistance in responding to your request.
If you believe we have not responded appropriately to your request, you
have the right by way of complaint, under section 27(3) of the Act, to
apply to the Ombudsman to seek an investigation and review of the
decision.

 

 

Kind regards | Ngã mihi

Alison Puchaux  [4]she / her  

Revenue Manager | Revenue

Whangarei District Council | Te Iwitahi, 9 Rust Avenue | Private Bag 9023,
Te Mai, Whangārei 0143

P 09 430 4262 | E [5][email address] | [6]www.wdc.govt.nz

 

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[9]Go paperless | Receive your rates notice by email

 

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Dear Whangarei District Council,

 

I am requesting information under the Local Government Official
Information and Meetings Act 1987 about the costs of new housing
developments in Whangarei and how they compare to existing suburbs.
Specifically, I would like information on the following.

 

1. How much does the council spend on roads, water, sewage, stormwater,
and rubbish collection for new housing developments? How much revenue do
these areas generate in rates? How do these costs and revenues compare to
older suburbs like Onerahi, Kamo, and Tikipunga? Is there data showing the
cost and revenue per household, person, or land area?

 

2. What new housing developments have been built in the last five years
(2019–2024), and what is planned for the next five years (2025–2030)? Has
the council analysed whether low-density urban sprawl is more expensive to
maintain than higher-density development? Do existing financial models
show that older suburbs are subsidising the costs of new developments?

 

3. How do new housing developments affect public transport routes and
costs? What is the impact on waste management services, such as rubbish
and recycling collection? How do these costs compare to older suburbs?

 

4. Auckland Council found that rates from older suburbs and lower-income
areas were effectively subsidising the costs of new, low-density housing
developments on the outskirts. Has Whangarei District Council conducted a
similar study? If so, what were the findings?

 

Yours faithfully,

 

Todd Smith

 

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References

Visible links
1. https://www.wdc.govt.nz/files/assets/pub...
2. https://www.wdc.govt.nz/Services/My-prop...
3. https://www.wdc.govt.nz/files/assets/pub...
4. https://www.publicservice.govt.nz/our-wo...
5. mailto:[email address]
6. Link to the Whangarei District Council's website.
https://www.wdc.govt.nz/
8. https://www.wdc.govt.nz/EmailRates
9. View more about rates notices by email on our website.
https://www.wdc.govt.nz/EmailRates