Follow the podcast on

Wellington Deputy Mayor Ben McNulty has landed himself in trouble over online mud slinging. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Deputy Mayor Ben McNulty on lowest WCC rates rise in years

Publish Date: Wed, 27 May 2026, 9:56am

Wellington City Council has proposed their lowest rates rise since 2020, at 5.8%.

Deputy Mayor of Wellington Ben McNulty joins the show to discuss the news and how the council managed to cut the rise down from 7.4%, after an already substantial decrease from the last prediction.

Nick asks how this adds up with the inclusion of separate water bills and how this compares to Auckland.

McNulty says there are still "ghosts in the walls" that need shaking out, so we should expect more poor spending announcements before cost cutting becomes consistent.

And he shares how the spending culture has changed since Mayor Andrew Little has come into power.

LISTEN ABOVE