Farmers to meet over rates review decision

Taieri farmers have been left considering their options - a judicial review or going to the ombudsman - after their fight to delay the adoption of a new rating review failed yesterday.

Otago regional councillors yesterday voted against a motion put forward by Cr Doug Brown to delay the introduction of the Taieri rating review for a year. The motion was lost 8-3.

In front of a public gallery of about 25, councillors then voted to include the rating review in the 2009-19 long-term plan.

The decision left farmers seeking a review and more consultation on the proposal, which aimed for those who benefited the most from flooding and drainage works to pay more, disappointed.

They plan to meet next week to discuss how to take the fight further.

Farmer Ad Bekkers said he was disappointed in Molyneux representatives, chairman Stephen Woodhead and Cr David Shepherd, who voted against the proposal.

"They didn't stand up for their constituents.

"We'll be looking at the options, but at the moment it's a bit close."

Farmer Michael Lord, who was one of three to speak at the council's public forum, said he was annoyed at the outcome, but thought Crs Doug Brown and Gerry Eckhoff "tried" to put the farmers' views to council.

"For the rest, it was a done deal. They had blinkers on."

But just because the council had won the fight, it did not make them right, Mr Lord said.

Cr Shepherd said he and Mr Woodhead represented all the ratepayers' interests in Molyneaux, not just a small portion on the northern Taieri.

Mr Woodhead said looking back at submissions made by farmers to the council in 2009, the review was exactly what they had asked for.

There were always going to be "winners and losers" in the review, but he hoped the short-term annoyance the farmers felt now would be "got past quickly", as there were a number of issues on the Taieri that needed to be dealt with, he said.

Cr Brown said at the meeting proceeding with the new rating proposal was a "story about big brother Otago Regional Council undertaking a Clayton's submission process, largely ignoring" the objections raised by ratepayers.

"It would be patronising to call this consultation."

He left the meeting as soon as the decision on the review was made.

Cr Gerry Eckhoff consulted a dictionary for the definition of consultation and said the council's consultation was "little more than a sham" and left the council's credibility "at stake".

He called for the council to undertake a peer review of the new policy, but the motion was lost.

Cr Sam Neil said he had done an "about-turn", and delaying the proposal would at least allow people to come to grips with it.

The council needed the goodwill of ratepayers to achieve its goals, he said.

Cr Shepherd said the hearing panel did listen to submitters and added a uniform targeted rate to both the West and East Taieri drainage schemes.

Other councillors believed the process the council had undertaken was fair and appropriate.

The council adopted its 2011-12 annual plan and long-term council community plan amendments.

rebecca.fox@odt.co.nz