Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown defends rates rise as councils give budget final sign-off

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown is defending Aucklanders' rates bills increasing nearly 8 percent, saying they need to invest in the city.

In May, Auckland councillors voted 14-7 to push ahead with Brown's proposed budget, which, as well as an average rates rise of 7.9 percent, would cut operating costs by $106 million in the next financial year.

This week, the council gave the budget and rates settings the final sign-off.

Brown said some other councils were deferring costs and passing on problems to future generations.

He said when he took office, there were crumbling pipes around the city leaking, and he did not want to go back to that.