Palmerston North City Council Draft Long Term Plan 2024 - 2034

Submitting on the Long-term Plans of district and regional councils forms an important part of advocating for farmers – it is an opportunity to influence local rating policies and contain and reduce rating impacts on farmland.

Property value rates can be among the highest overheads for a farm business. Farmers pay more for council services than other residents. 

The Federation advocates for farmers at both national and local levels to bring equity to this situation. We seek reform of local government funding through legislative change and submit and advocate to councils locally for better rating systems.

Summary:

• None of the Council’s proposed rating options are ideal for farmers as the rates rises are 14-17% on farmland properties.
• We say the Council should sharpen their pencils, cut unnecessary expenses and keep rates down to be in-line with CPI inflation, as there are no extra services being given to farmers for this year’s rates rises.
• Don’t charge farmers for services that they don’t receive.
• We would appreciate the Council sticking with the rural differential but also increasing the UAGC to its maximum allowable cap of 30% of activity funding (in order to get all ratepayers to contribute their fair share of the rates burden – not just leave it to farmers to shoulder).