Shore faces 10 years of rate rises

North Shore home owners' rates will rise on average by $140 after the city council approved a budget aimed at tackling transport problems.

And higher rates bills on the Shore are likely to continue for the next decade.

Mayor George Wood said yesterday the council revised the 2006-7 rates rise to about 9.6 per cent - slightly more than it had told ratepayers in the draft plan consultation.

This increased the average home rate from $1456 to $1596.

Mr Wood said the $1.704 billion capital works spend approved for the next 10 years could mean average rates increases of about 8 per cent for each year to 2015-16.

"The council has been staring down the barrel of rates increases needed to get on and make improvements," he said.

"We have transport problems across the city and unless we spend the money we are not going to make adequate progress on buses, roads and ferry terminals."

Mr Wood said the budget decision was important because it allowed ratepayers to fully benefit from subsidies available from Land Transport New Zealand.

The bumper works budget would send the city's debt rising from the present $145 million to $462 million by 2011.

This included money for identifying the point where a third Waitemata Harbour crossing would meet the North Shore.

"We haven't done any work at this stage but we have to work in partnership with Transit New Zealand to get that preparatory work done as soon as possible."