Rates rebuttal

I thank Jack Flynn for keeping the rates debate going.  It is helping the farm cause.  

So many residential ratepayers have told me they were unaware that they had received a $1-million rate reduction and the farmers were charged $1 million to make up the shortfall.  Blatant theft.

Mr Flynn, I do not know what you are on about us lobbying council, farmers have lobbied every council since amalgamation to keep farm rate increases to a minimum so what is different lobbying the new council.  

But we will not have to lobby rates as hard as property values have fallen as we have a massive downturn in prices and the new council will find that land has been sold for less than the council valuation.

Again back to memory lane they have not made any more farms.  

At amalgamation there were 6000 ratepayers in the general sector, now with all the new houses on Southbank, Golf Course Road, Stockton Drive, Williams Road subdivisions and Target complex, Harvey Norman, Aldi and warehouses, etc built since 1995 there is now 11,000 in the general sector but still 600 farmers.  

Farmers during these 29 years have continually said they do not want any more development in Horsham as we are required to pay a set share of rates.

The farmers argument is still valid surely every time a new house or Target complex is built then that sector should pay a bit more in rates but no farmers have to match it with a set share of rates.  

Mr Flynn, farmers paid 27 per cent of the total rates at amalgamation through to 2010.  

Now we pay 33.5 per cent even though there are 5000 more general ratepayers all coming in at the top end of the rate scale.  

I ask you how much are these 4000 houses worth and all the new complexes and warehouses worth?  $20 billion perhaps, but no more farms made.  

Without the farmers subsidy the general sector would be paying the highest rates in Australia to fund this spendthrift council.

Farm rates only increase with valuation, what is valuation – it doesn’t put a roof over your head and you can’t eat it, doesn’t make the crops yield better or sheep cut more wool. 

Valuation is only a liability to farmers.

Thanks Jack for fuelling the rates debate and I look forward to your reply.  

I need all farmers next February to join the rates protest and only pay what rates they paid last year plus the Local Government Minister’s 2.75 per cent rate increase, not the 16.5 per cent council theft.

Neville McIntyre,

McKenzie Creek

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