Our work
A powerful voice
From the policy desk
By Nick Clark, General policy manager
With Waitomo farmers facing massive rates increases, Federated Farmers has joined with urban ratepayers in calling on Rodney Hide to launch a Ministerial review into the performance of Waitomo District Council.
This was sparked by the council adopting a Long Term Council Community Plan (LTCCP) that in the view of many ratepayers is unaffordable and unsustainable. In particular, they believe it breaches the Local Government Act which requires that:
A local authority must manage its revenues, expenses, assets, liabilities, investments, and general financial dealings prudently and in a manner that promotes the current and future interests of the community.
The forecast rates and debt tracks of Waitomo District Council are shocking. Between 2008/09 and 2008/19 rates revenue will increase by 80 percent and total liabilities will increase by 53 percent. These come on top of big increases over the past three years, when Waitomo's rates revenue increased by 58 percent and its total liabilities by 52 percent.
Waitomo's declining population means that rates and debt will fall on fewer and fewer ratepayers. We understand that its increase in rates per capita over the coming decade will be the highest of any rural council and by then its rates per capita will be almost twice the New Zealand average.
Waitomo ratepayers are wondering how anyone could consider these increases ‘prudent' and how they could ever be seen as ‘promoting the current and future interests of the community'.
This is not the first time Waitomo's financial state has been the subject of public concern. The council's 2006-16 LTCCP was assessed by the Audit Office as not ‘financially viable'. In the intervening years, Waitomo has worked to consolidate its finances and bring about a reduction in the growth of debt by effectively relying on more revenue from rates.
We accept that Waitomo has had no option but to consolidate its finances, but the council has done so in a way that has and will put an unreasonable burden on present and future ratepayers. Imposing an ever increasing rating and debt burden is simply not sustainable.
The ball is now in the Local Government Minister's court.
Our policy teams work for you on three fronts
National policy
Tackling national issues which impact all farmers, such as trade, transport, climate change, water and economic policy. The general policy team deal with Government and officials.
To find out what the general policy team are working on, please click here.
To contact the general policy team, please click here.
Regional policy
The regional policy team benefits through submissions and representations to local and regional councils, reducing the regulatory burden and unnecessary costs on farming.
To find out what the regional policy team are working on, please click here.
To find out who works for your province, click here.
Industry policy
The industry group policy team works for superior outcomes for farmers across the Federation's seven industry groups: dairy, meat & fibre, bees, rural butchers, grains, high country and goats.
To find out what the industry group policy group is working on, please click here.
To find out what policy advisor represents your industry group, please click here.
What we're doing for you
Submissions
Federated Farmers provides a blog forum in order to seek feedback from farmers and non-farmers on submission and other policy documents. This forum is an opportunity for anyone interested to post their view on the issues listed.
To see what we are currently submitting on and to access the submission database, please click here.
Adverse Events & Drought
Federated Farmers plays an important role should adverse events/drought be declared. The Federation will work for members' in a number of areas:
- To monitor the situation at a local, provincial and national level
- Reactivation of the "0800 DROUGHT" line service
- Providing links through to support service providers
- Providing links to other organisations who publish drought related material useful to farmers.
Federated Farmers Manifesto
Federated Farmers manifesto covers farmers' ‘policy wants'. It clearly sets out what agriculture needs so it can continue to provide for the social, economic and environmental wellbeing of all New Zealanders.
