About rates FAQs

Rates are the main way a council pays for the work they do within their area. They are a type of tax on your property.

The amount of rates you have to pay will depend on where you live and your property size. There may be a mix of different types of rates – including general rates which are calculated on your property’s land value, and targeted rates which are based on location and the benefit you might receive from that service.

Rates help pay for the work we are required to do on your behalf for your region. The amount of rates you must pay will depend on where you live and your property size.

There may be a mix of different types of rates – including general rates which are calculated by your property’s land value, and targeted rates which are based on location and the benefit you might receive from the service they are used to fund.

Throughout New Zealand, regional councils and city / district councils, collect rates to help fund the different work they’re required to do by law.  

Find out more about the work that your Regional Council rates are helping to fund during the 2025 - 2026 year.

Because of how your rates are calculated, it’s likely that the cost of rates you are required to pay will be different from your neighbour, or someone living in a different part of the region.

The location of your property, the property size and land value are the key factors in assessing how much rates you must pay.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council looks after the environmental management of the region. This includes setting policies and rules that help protect the region’s land, air and water. We also respond to pollution events and take a lead role in pest management. We have an active role in minimising risks from natural hazards, making sure you’re safe when on the water along our coast and on our lakes and rivers, and we provide public transport. We also provide support to community groups for environmental enhancement.

You can read more about our elected members, and also find out about the work we do and how you can have a say in that work.

Regional Councils look after the environmental management of the region. This includes setting policies and rules that help protect the Bay of Plenty’s land, air and water. We also respond to pollution events and take a lead role in pest management. We have an active role in minimising risks from natural hazards, making sure you’re safe when on the water along our coast and on our lakes and rivers, and we provide public transport. We also provide support to community groups for environmental enhancement.

Your city/district council provides the services you use day to day. This includes quality drinking water, wastewater and stormwater, roads and rubbish collection, as well as providing community facilities such as parks, cycleways, community halls, libraries, swimming pools and sports fields. For more information about your city or district council and the work they do, see here.

There are seven city/district councils in the Bay of Plenty:

• Tauranga City Council,
• Western Bay of Plenty District Council,
• Kawerau District Council,
• Rotorua District Council,
• Ōpōtiki District Council,
• Whakatāne District Council and,
• a small part of Taupō District Council’s area.

Our goal here at Toi Moana Bay of Plenty Regional Council is for te reo Māori ‘to be seen, heard, spoken and felt’ throughout our offices, multiple work spaces, and in our interactions with our communities.

We have guidelines for staff on the use of te reo Māori. These guidelines provide staff an opportunity to understand our organisational approach to the incorporation, promotion and use of te reo Māori across Toi Moana and externally. 

In an effort to progress te reo Māori in our internal and external communications we have a list of words that will not be translated. This list can be reviewed and added to.

Te Aka is an online Māori Dictionary, that we recommend to people to refer to if they find a term that they’re not familiar with.

Our Revenue and Financing Policy sets out how we use our revenue and financing sources to fund our activities (work). This is a requirement of the Local Government Act. For all of our activities, we assess the:

• Community outcomes the activity primarily contributes to 
• Distribution of benefits between the community as a whole, any identifiable part of the community and individuals
• The period in or over which benefits are expected to occur
• The extent to which the actions or inactions of particular individuals or a group contribute to the need to undertake the activity
• The costs and benefits, including consequences for transparency and accountability, of funding the Activity distinctly from other Activities
• The overall impact of any allocation of liability for revenue needs in the community

The Act also sets out where we can get our funding from, which as well as collecting income from rates (both General and Targeted) includes:

• Lump sum contributions
• Fees and charges
• Interest and dividends from investment
• Borrowings
• Proceeds from asset sales
• Development contributions
• Financial contributions under the Resource Management Act 1991
• Grants and Subsidies
• Any other source

For operational expenditure (the day to day spending that maintains the services we deliver) our preferred order of funding sources for how that work is funded is:

• Grants, subsidies, sponsorship and other sources of revenue 
• Fees and charges where benefit can be assigned to individuals 
• Financial contributions (not currently used) 
• Targeted rates where benefit can be assigned geographically or to itemise specific rates requirements 
• Investment income (interest and dividends)
• General rates including UAGC
• Reserves
• Borrowing

For capital expenditure (costs associated with purchasing, improving and replacing assets), our preferred order of funding sources is: 

• Proceeds from the sale of assets 
• Grants, subsidies, sponsorship and other sources of revenue that directly apply to the given asset 
• Reserves and/or borrowing depending which is the most efficient source of funding

A breakdown of how each activity is funded is available in our Revenue and Financing Policy.

Your Regional Council rates help pay for the work we’ve said we’ll do in our Long Term Plan and/or Annual Plans. 

The work that Regional Councils do is set out under several pieces of legislation. These include the Local Government Act 2002, the Resource Management Act 1991, and the Biosecurity Act 1993.

Every year councils go through an annual planning process to set out what they plan to do in the next 12 months, to meet the requirements of these pieces of legislation. Every third year this planning takes a long term approach – setting out a work programme for the next 10 years.

At various times the community can feed into these planning processes, and this feedback is then considered by elected members (councillors). You can keep up to date with our work on our website, have your say on the projects we are consulting on, or by speaking to your constituency Councillors about it. You can find our Councillor contact details here.

To have a say in what your rates fund:

• Get involved in our annual and long term planning processes
• Sign up at participate.boprc.govt.nz keep informed about opportunities to have your say about our work
• Speak to your councillors about what we’re doing in your rohe
• Keep an eye on our website for opportunities to get involved and provided feedback on our work

Much of the work we do is unseen, and the only way you might know we’re achieving what the Government has tasked us with doing is because you are able to swim in the rivers, lakes and harbours safely, use the land productively or breathe the air without getting sick. Other work we do, such as providing public transport options, means that people can contribute to the place they live in as it gives them options to get around.

Rates help us pay for the work we are required to do on behalf of you for our region – making sure our environment is looked after now, and into the future for the next generations.

Targeted rates pay for specific services or projects and can be set generally across all ratepayers (so all ratepayers pay that rate) or to specific ratepayers in certain areas (for example if that group will particularly benefit from that project or service).

Targeted rates are typically a fixed charge, rather than based on your property’s value.

An example of where we use targeted rates in the Bay of Plenty is our Civil Defence Emergency Management targeted rate – where each property is charged a fixed amount for services provided by the Bay of Plenty Civil Defence Emergency Management group.

If you rent your property to tenants, on a short term or long term basis, those tenants will benefit from the work we do in the community. If you have a holiday home, the rates you pay help keep your property, and the community around it, a safe and enjoyable place to visit.

Our work is funded by a mix of rates, fees, charges, grants and investment income. Council owns an investment company called Quayside Holdings Limited which has a majority shareholding in the Port of Tauranga. 

You can see a breakdown of this income and how it is allocated by reading the 2025 -2026 Annual Plan. 

To view your property’s Bay of Plenty Regional Council rates previous rates for your property, view the Rating Information database (RID) to see this year's and previous year's rates or visit one of our offices.

The Uniform Annual General Charge (UAGC) is essentially a 'general rate' where every property pays the same amount regardless of its land value or location. 

Charging a UAGC ensures a more equitable spread of the cost of providing Council services that have benefit across the region.

General rates pay for work that can benefit the whole region. We calculate the general rate using your property’s land value.

Council has adopted a land value system for the general rate as our activities, which are part-funded by the general rate, deliver benefits more closely aligned with land values than capital values.

For example, the integrated and sustainable management of natural and physical resources is more likely to have a long-term impact on land resources and land values than on the capital improvements (such as buildings) associated with that land.

Targeted rates are used to fund work that has a local benefit and ensures the people who benefit for that service will pay for it. This approach makes it clearer to everyone where their money is being spent.

Targeted rates will depend on where your property is in the region and are set either on a uniform basis where the cost is the same for everyone, or differentially. A differential rating is where each property is charged based on how your property is identified in our funding impact statement 

Targeted rates may also have different categories applied based on the scale of the benefit your property is receiving.  The degree to which a property benefits from a project or service will determine which category of the Targeted rate will apply. Properties that benefit more from a project or service will pay more.

You can see what targeted rates you pay on your rates assessment where these are itemised. 

Targeted rates currently collected by Bay of Plenty Regional Council

Rotorua Lakes Activity targeted rate: Supports the sustainable management of the land and water.  and is calculated based on the land area of a property.

Rivers Drainage and Flood Management: Helps to part-fund flood protection and control, and is calculated based on land area, location and reliance on the service provided. There are several different targeted rates that fall under the Rivers Drainage and Flood Management:

• • Kaituna Catchment Control Scheme
  • Rangitāiki–Tarawera Rivers Scheme
  • Whakatāne–Tauranga Rivers Scheme
  • Waioeka–Otara Rivers Scheme
  • Rangitāiki Drainage Schemes
  • Minor Rivers and Drainage Schemes

Rotorua Air – Clean Heat Conversion targeted rate: A targeted rate per property within the defined boundary of the Rotorua Air Shed area for properties who have received a loan for the installation of a cleaner heat alternative.

Passenger Transport: Provides passenger transport services across the region, and transport for people with impairments and is calculated per property.

• • Tauranga Passenger Transport targeted rate
  • Rotorua Passenger Transport targeted rate
  • Western Bay Passenger targeted rate
  • Eastern Bay PT – Whakatāne targeted rate

Regional Safety and Rescue Services (RSRS) targeted rate: Calculated per property to provide funding for regional safety and rescue services.

The Regional Safety and Rescue Services targeted rate was established in 2022 to fund and support the following services: Surf Lifesaving, Coastguard, Land Search and Rescue (LSAR), St Johns, Rescue Helicopter. 

The rate is for each area is different, based on the range of safety and rescue services that are most relevant in each area.

Civil Defence Emergency Management targeted rate: Ensures that a response is coordinated, and communities are supported in emergencies. Calculated per property.

Regional Council is required to implement plans that set out how it is going to ensure flood defences are managed well, now and into the future. We do this through the Rivers and Drainage Asset Management Plan (AMP).

The AMP outlines the 50-year ‘lifecycle’ of a specific Regional Council activity. In most cases, this is a mix of capital (building new assets or enhancing existing assets) and operations and maintenance (operating and maintaining the assets through their lifespan), and how this is collectively managed to meet legislative requirements and agreed levels of service to a community.

AMPs inform Regional Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), a 10-year plan that is reviewed every three years with the community and updated annually. The annual budget expression of the LTP, or Annual Plan, outlines what activities will be delivered over the period 1 July - 30 June and how they will be funded, for example through rates or borrowings.

The LTP and the Rivers and Drainage AMP was updated in 2024. You can read the executive summary document and the full AMP here.

We help reduce the risk of flood damage and issues from land drainage through various infrastructure asset networks, known as rivers and drainage schemes.

These schemes are defined areas of land where we construct and maintain flood defences (such as stopbanks, floodwalls, pump stations, flood gates etc), manage riverbank erosion risks and undertake drain maintenance.

Regional Council is responsible for the management of five major rivers and drainage schemes within its regional boundaries. The schemes provide flood protection and drainage for 54,570 targeted ratepayers.

Ratepayers across the region contribute to river and drain management. However, if you live within a scheme, you pay an additional targeted rate for the benefits you receive.

Find out more about flood protection around the rohe here.

There are four major rivers scheme targeted rating areas (Kaituna Catchment Control, Rangitāiki-Tarawera, Whakatāne-Tauranga and Waioeka-Otara) and one major drainage scheme covering the Rangitāiki Plains area.

There are also 39 minor drainage and pumping schemes on the Rangitāiki Plains and Ōpōtiki area. In the Rangitāiki Plains area, it is common for properties to contribute to three separate schemes (i.e. the Rangitāiki-Tarawera Rivers Scheme, the Rangitāiki Drainage Scheme and one of the minor pumping schemes).

Each scheme is a different size and has a different number of ratepayers.

You will be receiving a number of different services specific to your property and/or local community.

Within the different River Schemes, areas of land have different classifications, which are determined by the level of service or benefits provided by the scheme.

In some cases, particularly with large properties, you may have several different targeted rates classes under one Rivers Scheme.

Targeted rates for rivers and drainage schemes vary significantly depending on the annual operating cost for the scheme and the number of properties within the scheme (i.e. higher population areas pay lower rates because there are more people sharing the costs).

Targeted rates are also determined by the level of service or benefit that your property is receiving within that scheme. This means you may be paying a different targeted rate to someone else in the same rivers scheme.

For example, if your property is in a low-lying area, you are more at risk from flooding than someone who is located on higher ground. Therefore, as your property receives greater benefit from our infrastructure assets and services, your property will have a different classification and a different rate than someone else who may not benefit as much.

Find out what targeted rates you are paying for 2025 - 2026 here 

Each property is categorised depending on the level of benefit you receive from the scheme.

For example, if your property is in a low-lying area, you are more at risk from flooding than someone who is located on higher ground. Therefore, as your property receives greater benefit from the scheme assets and services, your property will have a different classification and a different rate than someone else who may not benefit as much.

Find out your proposed 2025/26 rates here. 

For each Rivers and Drainage Scheme targeted rates, there are two components:

• The ‘Area’ component is based on where the land is situated and is calculated using the area of land within the rating unit.
• The ‘Unit’ component is a fixed charge that all property owners will pay based on where the land is situated and the level of benefit received.

Public transport provides benefits to the whole community. It helps reduce traffic congestion, lowers emissions, and offers essential mobility for those who rely on it. Last year, we carried over 3.4 million customers, which means 3.4 million fewer private vehicle trips on our region’s roads.

Even if you don’t use the bus, a well-functioning public transport system supports the local economy by making it easier for people to travel to work, school, and local businesses. It also contributes to the overall quality of life in our community by reducing pollution and making our roads safer and less congested.

Our public transport services receive funding from multiple sources, including revenue from bus fares and advertising, subsidies from the Central Government, and rates from the local community. We also offer concessionary fares to certain customers to aid with travel expenses. Some of these concessions are mandated by the Central Government, for which we receive a subsidy to help offset the associated costs.

Public transport is funded through a combination of rates, bus fares, advertising, and subsidies from the central government.

For 2025/26 there is a small overall decrease (2%) in transport service delivery targeted rates across the region. The impact on your rates will depend on where you live: some districts will see a reduction, some will stay the same, and others may have an increase.

Operating costs remain significant, but the main driver of change this year is a reprioritisation of projects and reduced government subsidies. This includes winding up some initiatives such as the Pāpāmoa Park and Ride trial, tertiary commuter services and Rotorua’s planned network refresh, while in other areas rates have increased slightly to keep core services running.

We continually explore ways to enhance efficiency and cost-effectiveness while meeting community needs. This includes optimising routes based on ridership data and feedback, promoting public transport to increase ridership, and implementing technologies like real-time tracking and automated fare collection to improve operational efficiency.

Regular monitoring and reviews help identify cost-saving opportunities while maintaining a public transport system that is both economical and reliable. We also work closely with operators to manage costs and ensure service standards.

We recognise that some buses may seem less crowded during midday hours or at the start of routes. While there might be fewer riders during certain times on specific routes, these services remain essential links for our communities.

Most of our costs remain fixed, irrespective of the bus's operational status. Therefore, discontinuing services at certain times wouldn't result in significant financial savings.

Additionally, you may see Not-in-Service (NIS) buses, which are necessary for moving vehicles to another route for scheduling or for safety mandated driver breaks. These movements help to keep services running smoothly.

Over 3.4 million customers travelled by bus in the region last year.

Our routes tend to be busiest during peak hours, so our operators have a fleet of buses to accommodate this high volume of passengers. Standard-sized buses are more efficient for high-demand routes and anticipated future growth.

When comparing operational costs, our current buses and smaller vehicles are quite similar. It's more cost-effective to operate standard-sized buses throughout the day rather than managing and maintaining a dual fleet of different sizes.

However, we are actively exploring more flexible solutions, such as our Baybus OnDemand trial in Tauranga South. This service uses smaller vehicles to better match supply with demand, aiming to improve efficiency and customer experience.

We are committed to the environmental integrity of the vehicles used by our operators. Urban buses align with the national requirements for Urban Buses (RUB), for vehicle design, performance, emissions, accessibility, and safety.

Our urban diesel buses adhere to the Euro-5 emissions standards, there are five electric buses operating in our Tauranga fleet and our On Demand trial in Tauranga South is 100% electric. Our most widely used diesel bus (the ADL Enviro200) needs only an average of 3.5 passengers onboard to achieve better fuel consumption per person than some of the most popular new cars on New Zealand’s roads.

We are planning for a future where only zero-emission urban buses can be purchased post-2025 and a completely decarbonised urban bus fleet by 2035, in line with government mandates.

We always strive to do better. If you have experiences or feedback to share after using our services, we welcome you to reach out to us through our website or by phone at 0800 4 BAYBUS (0800 4 229 287).

We are constantly working to improve. If you use our services and have feedback, observations, or complaints, please contact us through our website or by phone at 0800 4 BAYBUS (0800 4 229 287). If there is a specific operational event, please report the details (date, time, location, bus number). This enables us to investigate and address the issue promptly.

Every year, Bay of Plenty Regional Council receives money (a dividend) from Quayside Holdings Limited, Regional Council’s investment arm. This money helps pay for things Regional Council does.

Because Regional Council gets this dividend, we don’t need to charge ratepayers as much. The reduction on your bill shows how much less you have to pay because of the dividend. If Regional Council didn’t get the dividend, your bill would be higher by this amount.

The reduction is applied to general rates so that everyone benefits. It is not applied to targeted rates because they are only charged to properties in certain locations that receive specific services and therefore not everyone would benefit.

Quayside Holdings Limited (Quayside) is an investment company that Bay of Plenty Regional Council owns.

The Regional Council will receive 24% of its annual revenue from Quayside in 2025/26.

This income helps the Regional Council provide better services—like protecting our environment—while keeping rates lower than they would be without it. It means our community gets more value for less cost.

Quayside provides long term financial security to the Regional Council through a diversified investment portfolio which includes a majority shareholding in the Port of Tauranga. Quayside is unique in a New Zealand context, positioned to both support growth in the Bay of Plenty through investment, as well as benefit local communities through its dividends to the regional council.

Recent examples of Quayside’s investments include investing in kiwifruit development across the Bay of Plenty as well as the development of Rangiuru Business Park.

The total general funds required by Regional Council to deliver its services (before taking the Quayside dividend into account) is $97 million. The Quayside dividend of $48 million reduces this amount to arrive at a net general rate charge (including the uniform annual general charge) of $49 million. Your portion of the dividend benefit is shown in the box on the front page of the invoice.

No. The reduction in general rates from the dividend is calculated before you receive the remission. The dividend reduction has already been taken off your invoice.

No. The dividend from Quayside Holdings Limited has already been taken off the general rate portion of your invoice.

No. Council services are already being provided to you at no charge.