By Nigel Billings, Senior Policy Advisor Advocating for farmers on rates is not easy work, but every year Federated Farmers has a crack at local council plans and budgets. This […]
councils
Spray tool helps farmers comply with air quality plans
A free online tool that helps farmers and growers manage spray use on their land has been upgraded with a mapping system to identify environmentally sensitive areas. Developed by New […]
Councils Keeping the Change
As we have discovered, there is a wide variation in how councils manage refunds; Some specify that deposits are non-refundable or reserve complete discretion, others charge fees and others withhold.
Water entity concerns run too deep to just press ahead
Federated Farmers joins the many council elected representatives and citizens up and down the country urging the government to go back to the drawing board on reform of three waters […]
Boosting local road funding heads in the right direction, Feds says
News that the government has shifted funding for local road maintenance back up a gear is heartening for rural families dismayed by potholed access and dilapidated bridges, Federated Farmers says. […]
Fighting for the rural ratepayer
By Nigel Billings and Nick Clark Winter is upon us and Federated Farmers is in the thick of it fighting for hard-working farmers against the rates hordes. It’s a hard […]
Rural rates – going up faster than ciggies and booze
New Zealand’s 78 district, city, and regional councils have started consultations on Long Term Plans setting out proposed rates increases for the coming year and beyond. Expect cries of pain, […]
Gisborne Wairoa rates showdown
By Toby Williams President, Gisborne Wairoa Federated Farmers It’s frustrating and very disappointing that Federated Farmers’ submissions on Gisborne District Council and Wairoa District Council rates issues have largely fallen […]
Wairoa rates review misses the mark
By Rhea Dasent, senior policy advisor for Federated Farmers Federated Farmers has a long history of submitting on Wairoa rates, so our ears pricked up when we saw the current […]
Hold on to your wallet – bumpy council rates ride ahead
By Nigel Billings, Federated Farmers Senior Policy Advisory With local authorities due to roll out their Long-Term financial Plans in early 2021, a hard road beckons for rural ratepayers. This […]