VICTORIAN Farmers Federation (VFF) president David Jochinke is urging all members who have incurred substantial council rate hikes to provide the VFF with data regarding the extent of the rises so the organisation has a volume of evidence to present to government.
Mr Jochinke was speaking at a Wimmera branch meeting of the VFF in Horsham this week, where rural rates are once again in the headlines, when one farmer and VFF member, Neville McIntyre, reported a 55 per cent rise in his rates.
This is in spite of his local council, Horsham Rural City, being a participant in the Fair Go Rates program and has its rate rises capped at 3.5pc.
Mr Jochinke said the rate cap was over the entire council and said the VFF had been told there would be cases where rates would rise by more than 3.5pc, but said the key would be to ensure the load was spread evenly.
Apart from Mr McIntyre, a number of other farmers in the municipality have received double figure rate increases in their recent rate notices.
Mr McIntyre said the increased rate payments were putting a severe burden on farm businesses.
“Enough is enough and something needs to be done,” he said.
Mr Jochinke said the VFF would fight hard to ensure farmers did not bear a disproportionate amount of rate rises.
“We want everyone who has had an increase they feel is unreasonable to get in touch with us so when we take the matter to the authorities we have as much information as possible,” he said.
He urged farmers not to view the issue as a simple case of agriculture against local council.
“What is clear from what we hear from our rural councils is that the system is broken,” he said.
“They simply don’t have the money to provide the services expected of them and their only means to meet that shortfall is to put rates up, and in these shires with small population bases, farmers are probably the first target.
“We need to work together to try and find a funding system that delivers a fair outcome for farmers, who should not be shouldering the load of financing rural councils, and allows small rural councils access to provide the same services as their urban counterparts.”
In the interim, he advised any growers who will find rate payments a serious financial strain to contact their local council and challenge it.
Farmers in the Horsham Rural City are currently in the process of doing this and say they have had some success with this in the past.
“You won’t be able to get it all written off, but you may get some discount and every bit helps,” Mr Jochinke said.
