Taieri farmers are unhappy with a proposal to hike their flood and drainage targeted rates.
“I think you are breaking us,” one landowner told Otago regional councillors hearing from ratepayers on its long-term budget plans yesterday.
The council has proposed a general rates increase of 73.2% in 2021-22, 15.7% in 2022-23 and 6.8% in 2023-24.
It has also proposed a targeted rates rise of 29.3%, 18.2% and 14.2% in years 1 to 3 respectively.
Overall, Otago Regional Council rates are proposed to go up 47.5% in 2021-22.
Taieri landowners Colin Scurr, Allan Kirkland and Simon Parks presented their concerns, including that there was no detail in the long-term plan on how the money collected as a result of the proposed rates increases was going to be spent.
The men are three of 11 farmers who contribute about $300,000 via a targeted rate for the East Taieri flood and drainage scheme.
Mr Scurr said, over the years, a lot of money had been collected for that scheme via the targeted rate, but it seemed not much had changed.
He wanted the council’s work programmes to be trimmed, and the operation activities carried out with the same budget as last year.
“These targeted rating areas have seen a number of double-digit rate increases over the last decade and they are becoming unreasonable,” he said.
The council should return to the original rating classification in East Taieri, which included a rate to the skyline around the Taieri Plain that covered the impact of land clearance and housing development, he said.
A lack of public consultation was also a major concern for the landowners.
They wanted the council to consult with the community, either through public meetings or a liaison committee, on what needed to be done regarding the flood and drainage scheme.
‘‘This has not occurred and we are disappointed with that ... [The council] should make use of local knowledge so we can give input on what is needed, and what is not,” Mr Scurr said.
He wanted an independent review to be done on the current rating classification.
Mr Parks said the council’s consultation document talked about “building a better future for you”, but he was not convinced.
“This document feels like it’s ruining my future,” he said.
“We keep being told we’re resilient, but I think you’re breaking us.”
