Auckland mayor Len Brown is defending rates rises for parts of the city coming into effect this week.
New rates bills are being mailed out to residents across Auckland with an average increase of 3.6%.
The changes will also see separate wastewater charges included.
Brown told TV ONE's Breakfast this morning the increases were the "fairest" thing to do across Auckland.
"It just reflects the fact that amalgamating the rating system, having a stand alone wastewater charge, is the fairest thing to do."
Mount Eden residents will see their rates increase by just over 8%. Howick residents will pay just under 7% more, while Devonport and Takapuna will see rises of 4.5%.
Waitakere suburbs will see a decrease of 2.37% and southern areas, such as Otara and Papatoetoe, will see decreases of 1.8%.
The changes, Brown said, were in line with the amalgamation of Auckland into a Supercity.
Brown maintained the changes were in line with his electoral promise to follow the rate on inflation.
"I am absolutely standing by what I promised in the election and that's what I'm delivering. When we are growing by 2% per annum, that's reasonable, that's under the national average."
Brown said he knew some people struggled to pay rates, but said it was never a good time to increase rates.
"If we could have picked a better time to go through this change, we would have, but we are tasked under this legislation to go through this change."