Proposed rates increase hits vulnerable sector

New towers being installed as part of the Government's rural broadband initiative may come with fish-hooks.

My first month as Northland president of Federated Farmers has been spent making submissions on four annual plans.

Of particular concern, is Whangarei District Council's proposed 21.1 per cent rates increase for farms with land values over $2 million. With an average rates rise of 3.6 per cent for all Whangarei ratepayers, why has the most vulnerable sector been singled out? This I find unacceptable when we all know dairy farmers face huge financial challenges at the moment.

With support from Debbie Bidlake, our senior policy adviser, Colin Hannah and me, we talked to our submission before council.

Super-fast broadband has reached Whangarei, and the cable has been carried along the power corridor on council-owned land. I believe this has worked out well for the community and Northpower.

We have a chance to see this rolled out into remote Northland, using the power corridor again.

But this is where the dilemma lies. The Electricity Act enables electricity companies to come on to private land to maintain the existing power network. For a fibre cable to be used in the same corridor, an easement or local bill would need to be put through Parliament.

There is a fine line here, between supporting and protecting farmers' property rights, and that of enabling farmers to explore and take advantage of opportunities such as faster and more reliable broadband access.

We have a busy time coming up with Northland Regional Council about to release several catchment plans and the new draft regional plan, with rules about how air, water and the coastal resources must be managed.

Federated Farmers has worked with the council in developing these plans.

I would welcome your feedback on the subjects above, and any other concerns that you as farmers in Northland might have.

Finally, I'd like to thank our outgoing president Roger Ludbrook for his dedication over the past few years.

We've not allowed him to disappear, he's accepted the vice-president role to help keep me on the straight and narrow!

We are also pleased to welcome Belinda Robertson as provincial secretary.

Sadly, Louise Wilson has stepped down from this role and also as Far North chairwoman.

Louise has played a big role and will be missed, particularly in terms of her planning experience.