Rating farmers on capital value was unfair, especially when they were being asked to put big money towards the new Awatea St stadium, two Clutha farmers told an Otago Regional Council hearing this week.
Clinton farmers Brent Mackie and Peter Wilson lodged separate submissions to the council's draft annual plan but they contained the same message.
Mr Wilson, after studying his land and capital values, estimated he would be asked to contribute $807.60.
He believed a household rate, equally split between urban and rural properties, was the fairest method.
"This planned project is an extreme luxury and the burden should be shared evenly per person and, if this was the way to fund this project, I believe common sense would prevail."
Mr Mackie said the days of farmers being rated on capital values should be well and truly over.
The fairest way to rate for the new stadium was on house values.
"For an average home in Dunedin at the value of $300,000 to pay $37.80 and a farmer with a farm worth, say, $4.5 million, but a home worth under $200,000, would have to pay $309.15."
Mr Mackie said this was "grossly unfair".
"In these days of a user-pays society, that is what we will have to do if we want to use the stadium or do we get free seats for our money?"
Some Dunedin households would have a better ability to pay more than "a mere sheep farmer on an economic downturn, and a drought to boot".
