Christchurch Rates 2026/27: What the Proposed 7.96% Increase Means for Your Household

Rates & Budget | By Harpreet Singh | 26 February 2026 | 14 min read

The council has released its Draft Annual Plan with a proposed 7.96% overall rates increase for 2026/27. Combined with the just-released property revaluations, here is exactly how your rates could change and how to have your say before March 27.

Important: The figures in this article are based on the Draft Annual Plan 2026/27, which is currently open for public consultation until 27 March 2026. These are proposed rates, not final. The council will adopt the final plan in June 2026 after considering public feedback.

On Tuesday 11 February 2026, Christchurch City Council adopted its Draft Annual Plan for 2026/27. The headline figure: a proposed overall average rates increase of 7.96%. For the average household, that works out to a 7.4% increase, or about $6.05 extra per week.

This is higher than the 5.8% originally forecast in the council's Long-Term Plan 2024-2034. And it comes at the same time as a property revaluation that will change how rates are distributed across the city from July 2026.

Here is what you need to know about both, and how to have your say.

The Proposed Increase: Breaking Down the Numbers

The 7.96% is the overall average across all property types. But different categories of property face different increases:

For a typical Christchurch home with a Capital Value of $830,000, current rates sit at about $81 per week. Under the proposed increase, that would rise to approximately $87 per week from July 2026.

You can see exactly how this would affect your specific property using our rates calculator, which now shows both your current 2025/26 rates and a proposed 2026/27 estimate.

Why Is It Higher Than Forecast?

The Long-Term Plan (adopted in 2024) forecast a 5.8% increase for 2026/27. So why has it climbed to 7.96%? Mayor Phil Mauger pointed to several factors:

Rising costs across the board. COVID aftereffects, insurance costs, inflation, and interest rates have all pushed up what the council pays for materials, contractors, and services. While the CPI has come down to around 2.5%, council cost inflation runs higher because of the heavy weighting toward construction and infrastructure.

Operational spending is up $17.5 million compared to what was forecast in the Long-Term Plan. Day-to-day services, staff costs, and contract prices have all increased beyond expectations.

Capital programme adjustments. The council is proposing $598.9 million of investment into infrastructure and facilities. This includes completing major projects like Te Kaha Stadium (opening April 2026) and maintaining the city's $13 billion asset base.

Borrowing is actually lower. One positive: proposed borrowing of $314.4 million is $37.9 million less than planned in the LTP. The council has managed to fund more from revenue and less from debt.

Where the Money Goes

The proposed spending for 2026/27 breaks down into three main buckets:

• $770.5 million for day-to-day services -- this covers everything from rubbish collection and water treatment to libraries, parks, pools, road maintenance, and regulatory services
• $598.9 million for capital investment -- new and renewed infrastructure, buildings, and facilities
• $314.4 million in borrowing -- to fund the capital programme (spread over the life of the assets)

The biggest capital projects driving the budget include:

• Three Waters infrastructure -- ongoing pipe renewals and treatment plant upgrades ($2B+ over 10 years)
• Te Kaha Stadium -- $683M multi-use arena opening April 2026
• Transport improvements -- road renewals, cycleways, and intersection upgrades
• Parakiore Recreation Centre -- now operational, the metro sports facility

The council describes its approach as "affordable growth" -- investing in the city's future while keeping rates increases as low as possible.

The Revaluation Factor: Your Share of Rates Is Shifting

Alongside the rates increase, Christchurch City Council has just released new property revaluations (26 February 2026). These new values, based on market prices as at 1 August 2025, replace the previous 2022 valuations.

The city-wide picture:

But the averages mask big differences between suburbs:

Suburbs with the biggest value increases (and therefore likely to see rates rise more than average):

• Avonhead & Russley: +5.62% (average CV $858,962)
• Banks Peninsula: +5.59% ($755,339)
• Mt Pleasant to Taylors Mistake: +4.51% ($1,279,809)
• Papanui & Elmwood: +4.51% ($960,860)
• Upper Riccarton & Sockburn: +4.22% ($667,842)

Suburbs with value decreases (likely to see a smaller rates increase than average):

• Central city: -2.93% ($1,314,489)
• Cashmere & Westmorland: -2.48% ($1,177,797)
• St Albans & Mairehau: -0.99% ($777,104)
• Merivale: -0.91% ($1,631,916)
• Shirley, Dallington, Avonside & Richmond: -0.70% ($590,529)

Remember: the revaluation does not change the total rates collected. It only changes how the total is distributed. If your property value went up more than the average (+3.5%), your share of rates increases. If it went up less, or went down, your share decreases. Read our full revaluation guide for a detailed explanation with worked examples, or go straight to the CCC Rates Valuation 2026 page for the objection deadline and how to look up your new capital value.

You can explore the demographics and current projects for your suburb using our neighbourhood explorer.

A Worked Example: The Average $830,000 Home

Here is how the proposed increase would work for a typical Christchurch house:

This assumes a standard residential property paying the general rate, water, sewerage, drainage, waste, active travel, UAGC, and heritage charges.

If your suburb saw a bigger-than-average revaluation increase (like Avonhead at +5.62%), your actual increase could be a few dollars more per week. If your suburb's values dropped (like the central city at -2.93%), your increase would be smaller.

Use our 10-year rates outlook to see how the proposed increase fits into the longer-term picture for your property.

ECan Regional Rates: An Extra 2.9% on Top

Your rates invoice also includes charges from Environment Canterbury (ECan), the regional council. ECan has proposed a 2.9% increase for 2026/27 -- significantly lower than the 7.3% originally forecast in their Long-Term Plan.

ECan's rates cover regional services like public transport (Metro), flood protection, biosecurity, and environmental monitoring. While the ECan charges appear on the same invoice, they are set independently by the regional council.

The combined effect means the total amount on your rates bill will reflect both the CCC increase (7.4% residential) and the ECan increase (2.9%).

How Does This Compare to Other Cities?

Christchurch's proposed 7.96% sits roughly in the middle of what other major NZ councils are proposing or have recently adopted:

For a full comparison of how Christchurch stacks up in terms of weekly rates, debt per resident, and rates-to-CV ratios, see our city comparison page.

Council Priorities for 2026/27

Mayor Phil Mauger has described the draft plan's theme as "affordable growth." The council highlights several key priorities:

Completing major projects:

• Te Kaha / One New Zealand Stadium opens in April 2026 -- the 30,000-seat multi-use arena
• Parakiore Metro Sports Facility is now operational
• Continued investment in the Cathedral rebuild and other earthquake recovery projects

Maintaining core infrastructure:

• Ongoing pipe renewals and three waters upgrades across the network
• Road resurfacing and maintenance
• Parks, libraries, and community facilities

New consultation items: The council is also asking for feedback on two specific proposals:

1. Providing financial support to help restore four iconic buildings -- Canterbury Museum, Canterbury Provincial Chambers, Christ Church Cathedral, and Te Matatiki Toi Ora The Arts Centre
2. Pausing the planned rates increases that would provide additional funding for the Climate Resilience Fund and the Environmental Partnerships Fund

How to Have Your Say

The Draft Annual Plan is open for public consultation from 27 February to 27 March 2026. This is your chance to tell the council what you think about the proposed rates increase and spending priorities.

Ways to submit:

• Online: Visit letstalk.ccc.govt.nz to read the consultation document and submit your feedback
• In person: Attend a public drop-in session (dates and locations on the council website)
• Written: Email your submission to the council

The council will consider all feedback before adopting the final Annual Plan in June 2026. Last year, public feedback helped reduce the increase from an initial proposal of 8.93% down to the final 6.60% -- so your voice does make a difference.

About the New Property Revaluations

Property owners will receive letters from 5 March 2026 with their new rating valuations. If you believe your new valuation is inaccurate, you can lodge an objection with QV by 10 April 2026.

You can look up your new value right now at ccc.govt.nz/rates.

For a detailed guide on what the revaluation means, how it affects your rates, and how to object, read our full revaluation explainer.

What Happens Next?

The Bottom Line

The proposed 7.96% increase is higher than originally forecast but reflects the real cost pressures facing the council. Combined with the property revaluation, some homeowners will see their rates go up by more than the average (particularly in suburbs like Avonhead, Banks Peninsula, and Mt Pleasant), while others will see smaller increases (particularly in the central city, Cashmere, and St Albans).

The consultation period is your opportunity to influence the final outcome. Last year, community feedback contributed to a meaningful reduction in the final increase. Use the tools on this site to understand your personal impact:

• Calculate your current and proposed rates
• See your 10-year rates projection
• Compare Christchurch to other NZ cities
• Explore projects in your neighbourhood

Listen: Your Rates, Plain & Simple -- In Episode 1 of our podcast, Sam and Kate open up an actual rates bill and walk through all 16 possible charges in plain language. If you want to understand what each line on your bill means before the increase hits, it is a good place to start.

This article will be updated when the final Annual Plan is adopted in June 2026.