Council urged to delay rate hikes

Under its proposed Long-Term Plan (LTP), Environment Southland (ES) envisages about a 23% increase in regional rates, but Hugh Gardyne, chair of the Mataura Catchment Liaison Committee (MCLC), says farmers simply can't afford it.

"From a farmer and a ratepayer's perspective, at the present time, the things that we can't control are interest rates, insurance, and rates.

"But be under no misunderstanding. Farmers are desperate to cut costs down, to hopefully achieve a cash surplus for the year. It's very difficult," Gardyne told Rural News.

The council's figures show the rate increase is made up of 9% for flood infrastructure, 5% for flood infrastructure investment and 9% for council services.

Gardyne says farmers would stomach the inflation part of the rates - about 4.5% - but much of it was down to the proposed flood protection measures.

"It's that portion that I'm saying, 'look have a spell, consult a bit wider, get people to understand more what's happening'."

ES says ongoing and greater investment in flood protection is a key proposal of the LTP. A proposed new Flood Protection Infrastructure Rate, based on property capital value, would replace 140 existing catchment rates.

Gardyne said the flood risk from climate change was over-hyped.

"It's coming out of places like NIWA, it's coming out of the National Policy Statements and whatnot.

"People need to just get a grip because we can only afford what we can afford," he said.

However, ES chair Nicol Horrell says the council had to consider recent big events such as Cyclone Gabrielle and past Southland floods.

He said he could not comment on the LTP in detail while the consultation was underway but there had been a good crowd at a public meeting in Invercargill on April 29 and he implored people to make a submission.