The Christchurch City Council is looking at a rate increase next year of up to a whopping 9.5 percent.

Councillors will discuss next year’s rates increase on 6 December for the first public briefing on the Draft Annual Plan.

Chief Executive Dawn Baxendale said “Christchurch City Council is committed to maintaining the levels of service that the people of Christchurch expect, but we’re experiencing all the same challenges as every other organisation.”

She said “because we’re a big organisation, the economic factors we’ve all heard so much about – inflation, interest rates, supply issues – are having a big impact.

An initial calculation had the 2023/24 rates increase in the 14% to 15% range, and work so far has reduced it to the 9% to 9.5% range.”

Baxendale said “we know ratepayers are dealing with rising cost across the board.

That’s why we’re keen to stress that this is all still a work in progress, and our staff and councillors are working hard in very challenging circumstances to reduce rates increases as much as possible.”

Mayor Phil Mauger has not commented on the rates increase proposal but campaigned on “keeping rates affordable including “keeping rate increases below the rate of inflation over the next three years.”