Victorian Farmers Federation call for 100 per cent rates cut for drought hit south west

Farmers have put forward a case to the Victorian government, asking for drought-hit landholders to be spared from paying council rates for 12 months.

Farmers are calling for drought-hit landholders to be exempt from paying council rates for 12 months, with an $87m case put to Premier Jacinta Allan.

Victorian Farmers Federation president Brett Hosking has advocated for the exemption for the upcoming financial year at the latest drought taskforce meeting last Friday, where he received backing from community leaders including Rural Councils Victoria.

The 100 per cent rates cut would be applicable to 11 council areas — Glenelg, Southern Grampians, Warrnambool, Moyne, Corangamite, Colac Otway, Surf Coast, West Wimmera, Ararat, Pyrenees and Golden Plains — singled out as they were the first to be effectively designated as drought affected by the Victorian government in September.

“Knowing they haven’t got that rates bill coming, it takes a weight off farming shoulders with many farmers going through the worst drought of their careers,” Mr Hosking said.

“That would be $87m that the farming community wouldn’t have to find. It’s also $87m that has a direct flow-on effect to the wider community because many small businesses interconnected with farming, community groups even indirectly associated with farming, are suffering across southwest Victoria.

“It also provides surety to local government, that they will have their revenue flowing through at a time when a majority of their ratepayers are struggling to make ends meet.”

RCV deputy chairwoman Kate Makin - who is also mayor of Corangamite Shire, one of the state’s worst drought-hit municipalities - said farmers across southwestern Victoria battling with drought for roughly two years.

“The reception from government has been positive. We’ve seen with this taskforce process that discussions are held and then a decision is made not long after,” she said.

“Rates support at 100 per cent for farmers in those 11 council areas would make an enormous difference to agriculture, to councils and to many businesses.”

Ms Allan told reporters following the Ballarat taskforce meeting that some form of municipal rates relief was under consideration.

“Over the course of the last three meetings (Camperdown, Shepparton and Ballarat), we’ve had wide-ranging discussions but also zeroed in on some key issues,” the Premier said.

“The southwest part of our state continues to be identified as the highest priority in our discussions.”

Federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins toured regional Victoria last week and took part in the latest drought taskforce meeting in Ballarat on Friday.

Mr Hosking said he raised concerns directly to Ms Collins about the current impediments farmers faced in accessing Regional Investment Corporation loans.

“The very strong message from the taskforce (to Ms Collins) was the need for zero interest loans and the need to speed up the process with the Regional Investment Corporation,” he said. “If the RIC was a commercial bank, they’d be more efficient, but because it’s the RIC it’s been a slower process and time is of the essence when you have farmers hit by the worst drought in a century.”

When asked whether RIC reform was being considered, Ms Collins said during her Ballarat visit that alterations to corporation’s regulations were under consideration.

“I’m not ruling anything in or out. I’m listening really carefully to farmers and what supports are there and whether or not they’re doing the job they’re supposed to be doing,” Ms Collins said.