55820 (2025). Tangi Utikere to the Minister of Local Government

55820 (2025). Tangi Utikere to the Minister of Local Government: What assessment criteria will the regulator use to determine whether a council’s proposed expenditure genuinely relates to the continuation of essential services when councils seek approval for rates increases within or above the cap?

Hon Simon Watts: The rates cap does not provide restrictions on how councils spend their rates revenue. Further detail on the regulatory framework will be available next year.