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 battle but one worth fighting. We’re staring down the barrel at a swarm of huge rates rises which will add thousands to many farmers’ rates […]
rates
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, says Federated Farmers manager of general policy, Nick Clark. “The high cost of council rates on farmland has always been a problem and it is […]
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 on deaf ears. We certainly highlighted the unfairness and inconsistency of some of their proposals, both in comprehensive written submissions and in person when I […]
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 Wairoa Rates Review. We were especially interested to read in the Council’s own words “This proposal would simplify the rating system and transfer rates from […]
Reviewing the year we’d all rather forget
Kim Reilly, Federated Farmers South Island Regional Policy Manager Queen Elizabeth II once described 1992 as an “annus horribilis” – a horrible year. Moving forward 28 years, I’m not even sure there is a sufficient (publishable) term to sum up 2020. Let’s just say, it was a bloody shocker. Covid19 created the perfect storm for […]
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 isn’t just a Covid-19 thing. Some councils, particularly in tourism centres, took big hits on their revenue in 2020 but new demands on council coffers […]