Auckland's mayor says says residents shouldn't be complaining, with the council set to deliver its biggest-ever rates hike.

Councillors voted to back Wayne Brown's 7.9 percent increase - 15 votes to 7, with one abstention. 

A last-ditch amendment hoping to reduce it to 5.9 percent was voted down. 

Brown says this is the responsible thing to do to achieve their budget. 

"This is basically zero rate rise, plus the cost of Auckland City Rail Link - which has been coming for a long, long time."

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