Council
14 November, 2024
Appeal for councils to provide rate relief
THE Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) has called on councils to provide greater rate relief for farmers.
With announcements for Victoria’s local government area elections have been declared, the VFF has urged new councillors to listen to communities to deliver fairer rating strategies.
VFF president Emma Germano said the VFF has previously observed unfair rate increases for farmers in many areas, often driven by sudden and unexpected increases in the valuation of farmland.
“How can farmers be expected to run their businesses when they face huge and unexpected increases in their rates?” she said.
“These rate increases bear no relationship to the farmer’s production or income.
“The situation is simply grossly unfair. While in many areas farmers are funding an increasing proportion of the council’s revenue, they are not receiving a fair share of council services.
“By using differential rating councils can adjust the cents in the dollar rates payable to even out fluctuations and ensure a fair distribution of the rates burden across land types.”
The VFF believes, in order to achieve this, each council should spell out its approach in a comprehensive rates strategy.
“It’s critical that the newly elected councils protect farmers and ensures a fair distribution of the rates burden,” Ms Germano said.
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