Federated Farmers has submitted on the Bay of Plenty Draft Long Term Plan. We are very concerned with the lack of transparency in regards to rates setting, rates equity and both the overall and relative cost of local government to agriculture. While we support the use of uniform annual general rates and targeted rates, these ought to reflect access to, and benefit from, the council services.
We do not support the use of general rates to fund the proposed climate change policies, considering that no one benefits more directly than any other group, every household should pay the same amount equally.