Otago Regional Council blindsides ratepayers

Federated Farmers is calling on the Otago Regional Council to properly inform and explain themselves to their ratepayer farmers who are facing huge increases in rates and consent costs this year.

“The Otago Regional Council needs to be held to account on their Long Term Plan consultation document, which is severely lacking in reasoning for their major increase in farmer rates,” Says Stephen Korteweg, Federated Farmers Otago provincial president.

“The Council is proposing a heap of big changes such as new water quality targeted rates for water monitoring, a new dairy monitoring targeted rate, and significant increases in the consent fees they charge all of which will mean increased costs for farmers. For many this will run into the thousands of dollars.”

“Federated Farmers doesn’t object to increases in rates when they are transparent and fair, but the Council has given no heads up to rate payers that these major increases were coming and has not consulted the public on these changes. Instead they’ve chosen to hide behind a 20 page consultation document that barely mentions the increase let alone explains the who, what, where, how and why of it.”

“There’s no question farmers need to pay their fair share of the costs of monitoring and protecting the region’s waterways, but I don’t see much in this document that explains what the drivers for these costs are, and where the money is being spent. Equally so, where does it say the Council is going to stand up and take their fair share of the responsibility?”

Stephen adds that the legislative changes to the Long Term Plan consultation, that were adopted last year, were meant to make engagement between councils and their communities easier, not to provide councils with an excuse to hide significant changes with no material discussion.

Federated Farmers North Otago provincial president, Richard Strowger, says “Big changes like this require consultation, as there is always some tension between the public benefit of a regional council’s work and the work that is undertaken directly as a result of specific ratepayers and resource users.”

“Targeted rates are acceptable when ratepayers are paying in proportion to the benefits they receive from an activity, provided you are able to witness how these rates will be targeted and what is contributing to the costs. Significant proposals like this require an assessment of who benefits and exactly how much they should pay as a result.”

Mr Strowger finished by saying “We don’t have the opportunity to assess this info because the Council aren’t releasing it, and if we can’t have a look, how do we know they’re doing their job?”

Consultation and connection with the community is one of the key reasons why local government exists, Mr Korteweg continued.

“If the Otago Regional Council can’t talk in a reasonable manner to its ratepayers and resource users, it begs the question why they’re there at all.”

“We’ve been encouraging the council to engage in an informed debate over this for some time, but in order for that to happen we need information and I welcome them to reach out to us.”

ENDS

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