At this time of the year Gannawarra shire councillors are going through the process of setting rates for the next year.
After the court challenge in the early 2000s by farmers who made up 13 per cent of ratepayers but paid 53 per cent of rates, a system of rate differentials was introduced and is now under threat yet again.
Dryland farmers are paying almost double the general rate per allotment despite having a 19 per cent differential, and most farms are made up of many allotments. The removal of the differential would push a number of dryland ratepayers rates over $20,000.
Most dryland farmers live in the Avoca Ward, which has had very little shire expenditure in spite of being 50 per cent of the total area of the shire.
Residents have longer distances to travel on poorly maintained roads and towns get scant attention when compared with the major centres of the shire. For example the levee bank to protect Quambatook from flooding, and the widening of the road to Lalbert were both proposed in the early 2000s and nothing has been done to date.
It is our sincere hope that ratepayers in the Avoca Ward all get off their bottom and become very active in contacting councillors and staff to advise them that the current differential is essential to us.
The State Government has capped rate increases to 2 per cent, so the shire will be attempting to reduce differentials on dryland farmers to gain more revenue than a 2 per cent increase. After last year’s general rate increase, the reduction of differentials in the dry land area increased our rates by 7 per cent.
It is no good complaining after you get your rate notice with a large increase now is the time to act.
Lyall Fox, Lalbert;
Brett Hosking, Quambatook;
Graeme Mann, Quambatook;
Morrie Bennett, Lalbert;
Leo Parker, Quambatook;
Stewart McCann, Beauchamp.
