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Farmers angry over a ‘ridiculous’ rates hike
Saturday, August 18, 2012 • Sophie Rishworth
FARMERS will protest at the next meeting of Gisborne District Council on Thursday morning over “unaffordable” rates rises of up to 90 percent.

Rates rises were considered inevitable for the district this year, with an average increase of 4.4 percent proposed at the annual consultation meetings.

But bigger levies on some country properties have meant hikes of between 28 and 90 percent for some of the district’s farmers.

Farmer and former councillor Gary Hope’s rates bill goes from $19,246 last year to more than $36,000 for 436 hectares of land — a hike he says is “absolutely ridiculous”.

GDC corporate services group manager Mike Drummond said the council had received a lot of feedback from the rural sector since rates invoices were sent out.

“We’ve identified a number of targeted rates that are having an adverse impact on some properties.

“Not all rural rates went up and there is a rebalancing of rates across some activities.”

In some cases, as a result of the district revaluation, land was reclassified by the valuer from pastoral to forestry.

This resulted in a fourfold increase in the targeted roading rate, he said.

Also, it appeared that rural properties with larger areas of lower-value land had been affected the most when rates changed from a land value base to a land area base, said Mr Drummond.

This was due to increases in targeted rates including rural fire costs, pest and plants, and soil conservation.

The finance team was now working on a briefing to present to councillors early next week.

Mr Hope said he did not mind paying a bit more than his share. But $36,000 for one property with one house and one family was unsustainable and unaffordable.

He wants farmers to pay the same rates as they did last year and leave the balance in dispute.

But with rates due on Monday, that could mean a 10 percent penalty added on to the already-disputed amount.

“Some councillors believe that if you and your spouse have both worked really hard all your life to buy a nice house, then you must be really wealthy and can afford to pay more.

“You can’t get blood out of a stone and we are in no position to borrow money to pay our rates.”

Mr Hope said, that as a former councillor, he could fully understand the complexities involved with setting the rates. He thanked council staff for taking the time to explain and for having a closer look.

But he was already struggling to pay the $19,000 a year and could not possibly afford to pay any more.

“It’s my biggest bill — bigger than my wages, fertiliser, fencing or shearing,” he said.

“I’ve got a democratic right to object and ask why my rates have shot up and I have received no more benefits or services from the council.”

Graham Maclaurin has farmed all his life in Maclaurin Road and has weathered a few rates increases.

But he never expected anything as much as the 50 percent jump he saw when he opened his quarterly rates bill earlier this month.

“There’s a huge number of people affected, with most of them on the fringes of the Poverty Bay Flats.

“I’m not rich. You pay your rates but because you’re in the middle property bracket you’re a soft target.”

Sheep farmer John Wilson has farmed 52.5 hectares in Matokitoki Valley since Cyclone Bola. Like the Hopes, his rates have gone up 90 percent.

“I expect all sorts of shit from government people, so it doesn’t surprise me — they make moving to Australia look attractive but why should they push us out of the country?”

The rates increase during a downturn of revenue meant he would struggle even harder to pay the bills that gathered on his kitchen table, which left no money for anything else, he said.

Matokitoki lifestyle farmer Adrian Cutler has seen a 28 percent increase on his four-hectare property and he is “pretty pissed off about it”.

His property has increased in value because he and his wife have worked hard to improve it. But their disposable income would now disappear into council coffers, with no extra services provided, he said.

He had been talking to others with lifestyle blocks and they felt the same, he said.
RATES REVOLT: Farmers plan to protest at Thursday’s monthly council meeting about rates increases of up to 90 percent, with no extra services. An increase in levies for rural fire, pest and plants and soil conservation have contributed to the rise. Some farmers say the rise is unaffordable and unsustainable. Protesting farmers, from left, are John Wilson, Adrian Cutler, Mary Hope, Gary Hope and Graham Maclaurin. Picture by Dave Thomas
Comments
Peter Jones
05:11 p.m. Saturday, Aug 18, 2012
Unbelievable.
What nonsense. I was just going to stand for council but based on this I reckon I've got a good chance of becoming the new Mayor. Heh Heh.
Seriously, I'm absolutely dumbfounded by the stupidity of rises like that.
I better go for Mayor because it sounds like the council has already got Gary marked down for the position of "Santa".
Tom Wilkie
11:38 a.m. Monday, Aug 20, 2012
If it is value for money then there has been no signifigant changes to what is available in Gisborne for rate payers.
The council want to raise more revenue to pay for the extra staff they have hired .
Other councils around NZ have down sized but not in Gisborne.
What a joke.
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