Not the time for dreams and schemes…

Each Council is different, but these are the general principles Federated Farmers will be advancing in relation to 2021-2031 Long-Term Plans:

● Protecting and increasing per property uniform charges as a proportion of general rates. Uniform charges are crucial to containing farm rates and have been under considerable pressure in recent years.

● Pushing for a better deal on rural roads, with a special emphasis on higher differential rates for commercial forests. The declining condition of rural roads and bridges does not at all represent value on the rates dollar for farmers. The damage from forests has become a big issue in recent years.

● Retaining rural rating differentials and targeted rates such that rates better reflect access to and benefit from council services.

● Keeping council expenditure under control. This is not a time for dreams and schemes.

● Ensuring policies are in place to remit rates on covenanted land and land subject to environmental protections. Working in partnership with landowners is the best way to protect biodiversity.

Most of all though we want councils to understand that now is not the time for some of the aspirational dreams and schemes we’ve been seeing, like Matamata-Piako’s proposal for a Te Aroha Day Spa or expensive office refurbishments and replacements, as are planned in Southland District.

Councils rightly cut their cloth last year in response to COVID-19 and slashed their rates increases but this year they mostly don’t seem to realise that the real economy is still struggling. New Zealand is likely back in recession, and most businesses and many of their ratepayers continue to do it tough. Councils should be focusing relentlessly on the basics and look to keep their rates increases down. And they certainly shouldn’t be trying to sneakily shift ever more of the rates burden onto farming, the sector of the economy that has been keeping their economies afloat.