After a long and sustained campaign from the VFF and our members, the Victorian government finally announced a review into the local government rating system earlier this year.
As part of the review, the government is now holding a series of public hearings across Victoria.
I strongly encourage every ratepayer to attend their nearest hearing to have their voices heard.
Last year, Victorian farmers were shocked to receive sharply increased rates bills, some even experiencing an increase of up to 52 per cent.
No other business could be expected to survive under such significant cost increases over such a short period.
I recognise that rural and regional councils need funding to deliver critical infrastructure, and farmers absolutely want to contribute to their local communities.
However, farmers cannot bear all the costs, particularly when many of them do not receive the same level of council services as provided to residential ratepayers.
Many farmers simply cannot afford to pay their exorbitant rates bills.
So, in the interest of fairness and equity, we are asking the government to place a freeze on rural rates while an equitable rating system is designed and implemented.
Farmers are critical to the Victorian economy and the social fabric of our rural communities.
As a state, we cannot afford to rate them out of existence.
There is a lot of work to be done to create a sustainable funding framework for rural councils, that addresses the broken rating system and the clear inequities between urban and rural councils.
Please take the time to attend your nearest Rating System Review public forum and have your voice heard loudly and clearly.
- David Jochinke, VFF president