East Gippsland: Rural rates to increase by close to 14 per cent

East Gippsland Shire is proposing a huge rates hike but farmers say they are still recovering from an extended drought period and bushfires.

East Gippsland Shire has been accused of having an “anti-farmer sentiment” with a proposed rate hike on rural land of almost 14 per cent next financial year.

Bete Bolong producer Chris Nixon said farmers were still recovering from an extended period of drought followed by bushfires and the rates jump would further delay restocking and rebuilding fences and sheds.

The shire has opted to give rate relief to commercial property owners after two years of Covid.

Bete Bolong farmer Chris Nixon is upset with a farm rates increase in East Gippsland Shire of close to 14 per cent. Picture: Laura Ferguson

“We don’t disagree small businesses have done it tough in the pandemic, but we’ve had seven years of drought and fires thrown at us,” Mr Nixon said.

“At some point the rural community needs to be able to get enough capital into their systems to rebuild fences and sheds.”

Mayor Mark Reeves defended council’s decision and said it had subsidised farm rates in drought years.

“Farmers have been looked after extremely well when they needed it,” he said.

“The cry is from the business sector that they have been deeply affected by Covid.

“We’ve got very small levers to move and if farmers can’t be making money now, when will they?

“The sky is not going to fall in.”

He said the average farm rate in the shire was $2315.

Mr Nixon and other farmers packed Buchan Hall last week to vent their frustration at the rates increase.

“The only time I’ve seen that hall full in my life is when ovine johne’s disease was a huge issue,” he said.

“Two good years doesn’t get my herd from 50 per cent of what it was back to 100 per cent.

“This anti-farmer sentiment permeating out of councillors, not staff, is terrible.”

Gippsland Agricultural Group chief executive Trevor Caithness. Picture: Jason Edwards

Gippsland Agricultural Group chief executive Trevor Caithness said farmers were shouldering too much of the rate burden.

“Every resident in the shire has the opportunity to use shire facilities, but certain businesses and certain families are being loaded up to pay the bulk of those costs,” he said.

“We should be considering lifting the municipal charge across the whole shire so the financial burden is more evenly shared.”

Gippsland East MP Tim Bull. Picture: David Crosling

East Gippsland MP Tim Bull, who attended the Buchan meeting, said setting rates was “always a difficult process”, but sympathised with farmers.

“I think there needs to be a recognition that while farmers have had a good couple of years, they need that after an extremely tough period,” he said.

“I’ve got no problem with councillors looking after the commercial sector, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of the rural sector where many farmers are still in recovery mode.”

Originally published as East Gippsland: Rural rates to increase by close to 14 per cent