Wellington's mayor is talking up cost savings, as the council chases a lower 5.8 percent rates rise.

It proposed 7.4 percent during public consultation.

Some fees and user charges are increasing and big projects like the Town Hall and refurbishing the Botanic Gardens' Begonia House will continue. 

Andrew Little says they made cuts to keep rates down.

"Finding savings isn't an annual activity, it's a daily activity - so they carried on working, they found these projects that aren't going to be finished, that don't have to be depreciated , so we could donate to budget for that." 

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