Federated Farmers Submission for Whakatane District Council Long Term Plan
The high cost of rates for farming ratepayers is a major issue for FFNZ and our members. A normal farm in Whakatāne district would pay over $8,000 in rates. This is because rates are based on property value which, for farmers, means a much higher cost than other residents or business. Property value rates can be amongst the highest overheads for a farm business. Farmers should not be paying many times more than other residents or business for amenities
Council spending is focused on the urban areas with services like footpaths, street lights, toilets, visitor centres, carparks, water and waste water. These has little or no benefit to farmers.
The value of a farm is not much of a measure of the worth of council’s services to a farm owner. For farmers, the cost of paying an already inequitable rate continues to grow while in return farmers receive declining levels of service on local roads and little else of value.
Accordingly, FFNZ seeks a more equitable and fair distribution of rates. It also seeks that those that directly benefit should be paying for services and not be subsidised by everyone else.
For more - see the full submission