Council performance measurement

Central Government releases yearly benchmarking reports on councils, which look at how councils compare across several metrics, including rates, debt and expenditure.

You can view our council profile on the Department of Internal Affairs website:

Council performance measurement (dia.govt.nz)

What are your rates invested in?

Every day, we work behind the scenes to keep our community running smoothly. We’re here to make sure our District is safe, well maintained and thriving, today and into the future.

Helping you get around

We build and maintain roads, footpaths, walking tracks, cycleways, car parking and bus shelters so you can move safely and easily.

Providing essential services

We ensure you have fresh, clean drinking water, access to public toilets and we take care of rubbish, stormwater and sewage disposal.

We provide burial and cremation services, protect critical assets from coastal erosion, help to minimise flooding across farmland, and provide pensioner housing.

Supporting local economic growth and community development

We work with partners to ensure Whangārei is attractive to business, inward investment and tourists.

We provide grants and advice to community groups to deliver events and projects that achieve a range of community outcomes.

Creating spaces to enjoy

We look after parks, libraries and community facilities where people can gather, relax and connect.

Beyond these everyday services, we also handle important tasks like:

carrying out health inspections and liquor licensing
managing parking, noise and litter control
coordinating Civil Defence efforts for emergencies
overseeing building consents, land use and subdivisions
supporting crime reduction and community safety programmes.

We value efficiency and cost effectiveness

We operate with a considerably lower level of staff and expenses than the other Large Metro group councils.

Our rates in Whangārei are also among the lowest in New Zealand.

Large Metro council comparisons 2023-2024

Comparison of financial and staffing metrics across Large Metro councils in New Zealand. Data taken from 2023-24 annual reports.
Council	Rates per capita	Revenue per capita	Expenses per capita	Debt per capita	Personnel cost per capita	Population served per FTE*
Christchurch City	$1,668	$2,852	$2,735	$5,886	$508	179
Dunedin City	$1,500	$2,614	$2,877	$4,282	$611	158
Hamilton City	$1,332	$2,780	$2,502	$5,271	$639	151
Hutt City	$1,355	$2,498	$2,384	$4,158	$429	215
Tauranga City	$1,812	$2,497	$3,020	$6,670	$657	142
Wellington City	$2,245	$4,114	$4,074	$7,429	$718	143
Whangarei District	$1,247	$2,274	$2,097	$2,297	$350	251

*Full-time equivalent (FTE) employee

Unique pressures on our District

Whangārei is evolving. We are now a small city with a growing population of 103,500 in 2024, which is projected to reach 142,000 in 30 years' time.

We need to balance urban and rural needs while adapting to changing expectations.

Distinct challenges

Being a district council comes with distinct challenges that set us apart from larger cities:

A vast and varied landscape – Unlike compact urban centres, Whangārei covers a large area with a mix of urban and rural communities.
A growing city means greater demand – As we grow, we need to make sure our infrastructure and services can keep up.
A smaller ratepayer base – Bigger cities have larger populations and more businesses contributing to their funding; we have fewer ratepayers supporting essential services.
Rising expectations and shifting needs – Our community's needs and expectations are evolving.
Balancing urban growth with rural priorities – We must cater to both urban and rural residents without the resources of a major city.

Severe weather

In February 2023, Cyclone Gabrielle and several other major storms delivered considerable damage to infrastructure.

Northland's local road network suffered approximately $89m worth of damage from at least 10 different significant weather events since July 2022.

We have restored most roads, but we are still working on over 20 complex sites on 14 individual roads, which are expected to take another few years to complete.

We continue to pay for a significant amount of unplanned repair work to our roads, coastal facilities, stormwater systems, walkways and trails.

With the potential for more frequent weather events, we also need to invest in building future resilience.

Growing costs, stagnant funding: the burden on local government

Changes to Central Government legislation have seen local government's costs and responsibilities grow while our income stays largely static.

The Government has added things that we need to do without giving councils money to pay for it.

How we're preparing for the future of our District

As the eighth-largest council in New Zealand, we need to plan well for growth and support development led by others.

Although not funded by Council, this includes the hospital redevelopment (including improved access) and the Northland Corridor Expressway.

Bream Bay and northern areas of the city, including Springs Flat in north Te Kamo, are under growth pressure and some key investments will be required to absorb the growth of these communities now and in future.

Where growth is a result of a higher-density urban environment, this means we need to allocate more funding to renewing and improving current assets.

To help guide this long-term planning, we have set a Future Development Strategy in partnership with Northland Regional Council.

Future Development Strategy

Building for tomorrow: three key infrastructure projects

Ruakākā Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrade

We are undertaking significant upgrades to the wastewater system in Ruakākā, including options for plant upgrades and enhanced treated wastewater disposal options.

The expansion of the wastewater treatment plant and disposal system at Ruakākā will provide capacity for growth in Bream Bay.

Ruakākā Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrade

Springs Flat roundabout

A new roundabout at Springs Flat Road will provide safer connections to State Highway 1 from Te Kamo and access for future housing planned for Te Kamo East.

It will also enable the development of a new supermarket and shopping centre next to the roundabout.

Springs Flat roundabout

Sports hub

We are also thinking about our community's growing sport and recreation needs.

We are identifying the location and scope of our future sports hub to take pressure off existing facilities like Kensington Park, as well as working with the community to deliver the Hikurangi Sports Hub.

You can find out more about our current projects below.

Council projects