Farmers express anger over plan to council

Rotorua/Taupo Federated Farmers provincial president Alan Wills delivers his submission at the Long-term Plan hearings at the Rotorua Lakes Council. Photo/Ben Fraser

It was the day the farmers came to town.

Members of Rotorua's rural community descended on the Rotorua Lakes Council Chamber yesterday to express their outrage over its proposed Long-term Plan.

A submission campaign co-ordinated by Federated Farmers had managed to bring significant numbers of farmers out in force, meaning the third day of public hearings was dominated by protests over rates hikes and spending projects.

Federated Farmers senior policy adviser Nigel Billings told councillors they had "lost the confidence of the rural community" by proposing average farming rates increases of 19 per cent.

Rotorua/Taupo Federated Farmers provincial president Alan Wills said his own rates were set to go up by $15,577, a 42 per cent jump.

He criticised the council for its proposed $15 million spend on upgrading the Aquatic Centre when the priority should be balancing the budget.

"It's what the dairy farming community will be doing during a stressful period."

But the costs of reaching a surplus should not simply be transferred to ratepayers, Mr Wills said.

Many farmers used their submissions to call for a return to a "box differential" system for setting rates, and attacked suggestions of lowering the Uniform Annual General Charge (UAGC).

The more impassioned speakers labelled the council's use of capital value revaluations to determine rates increases as "unfair" and even "fraudulent".

Farmers' rejection of public spending projects was voiced most forcefully in a submission by Lachlan McKenzie.

In a presentation that blasted the council for an alleged culture of reckless spending - something swiftly denied by councillors present - Mr McKenzie called for the establishment of a working party to cut capital expenditure by at least 49 per cent over the next decade.

Commenting outside the hearings, Rotorua Mayor Steve Chadwick said she was not surprised by the level of response from the rural sector.

"We are very aware of the stresses in this sector and will be working to find a sustainable solution as we deliberate," Mrs Chadwick said.

"We are hearing the level of the concern during the consultation stage."

As rows of stern-faced farmers stared down on councillors from the public gallery the atmosphere in the chamber often felt tense. Councillor Charles Sturt made an off-the-cuff joke, when a representative from Fonterra seemed to be running late for her presentation, saying she may have lost her job - a reference to recent job cuts at the country's largest company.

When councillor Mark Gould asked Mr Wills whether he would like farming rates to be linked to dairy prices, a voice from the gallery muttered that it was a "stupid question".

"I don't think that's a tidy set-up," Mr Wills replied.

Federated Farmers spokesman Neil Heather also denounced proposed public spending, suggesting that the council should not be competing with the private sector on projects such as a new cafe in Kuirau Park.

It would be far more appropriate for interest groups such as the tourism industry to pay for those projects, Mr Heather said, since they would be the direct beneficiaries.

"We have never expected other members of the community to fund our industry."

He also denied the notion that it was only dairy farms experiencing increased rates, saying his own dry stock farm would also be affected.

John Butterworth delivers his submission at the Long-term Plan hearings at the Rotorua Lakes Council. Photo/Ben Fraser

Sharemilker John Butterworth lamented his own 27.6 per cent estimated rates increase.

"I keep reading in the paper how you need to nurture the youth and the community ... how can this happen with the proposed rates increases?" Mr Butterworth asked.

"Times are tough, and you are making them tougher for individuals and families within the Rotorua district - especially the farming community."

Following the final hearings of submissions on Monday morning, the council will hold an extraordinary meeting to discuss and deliberate on its Long-term Plan. Councillors are expected to endorse their ratings policy as detailed in the consultation document, with the addition of targeted rates remissions for the rural sector.

-Watch video of submissions by Alan Wills, Neil Heather and John Butterworth at rotoruadailypost.co.nz.