Farmers rally against council plans

TAKING ACTION: Spokesman Neil Heather says Federated Farmers will fight proposed changes. PHOTO/FILE

Federated Farmers is rallying against part of the Rotorua Lakes Council's Long-term Plan consultation document.

The group has lodged a 41-point appeal to the council's proposed fertiliser restrictions to the Environment Court, and has now formed a group to strategise against what it believes are "disproportionate" rates increases being proposed for farmers.

Spokesman Neil Heather said the group met for the second time last night to discuss a strategy.

They would be taking that strategy to the rural community next week, holding meeting nights in different areas, he said.

He expected a strong turn-out.

"The tone I get from farmers is they are really angry. With dairy farmers up for a 26 per cent rates increase ... we are just disproportionately affected."

The council's chief financial officer, Thomas Colle, previously told the Rotorua Daily Post the proposed rates increase was driven by property revaluations conducted last year.

"The farming sector is most significantly and widely affected . . .with dairying property valuations up 20 per cent but pastoral down 8.4 per cent on average. The flow-on effect on rates is a wide band of variation."

Farms made up 24 per cent of the district's total property value, the measure on which general rates contribution was based.

He said targeted rates meant farmers did not pay for services which they did not benefit from, such as rubbish collection and sewage.

Federated Farmers also liaised with the council late last month and early this month, after lodging an appeal to the Environment Court over the long-term plan's fertiliser restrictions, and would be mediating with the council for the next four to five months, Mr Heather said.

"We just don't want to have to be majorly restricted on what we can do on our farms, we don't want to be micro managed."

Mr Heather said there was a lot of anger among the rural community.

"They [the council] keep blaming the last council for debt, but no one person has stood up and taken responsibility."

The council's strategy manager, Aimee McGregor, said a number of parties had lodged appeals on certain parts of the Proposed District Plan.

- Submissions on the plan close June 2. Visit www.rdc.govt.nz for information.