SOUTH Burnett Acting Mayor Kathy Duff says further consultation should have been conducted with landholders, but rate rises of between eight and 17 per cent will stand across the shire.
Cr Duff said the rises were the partly the result of melding an existing $200 roads levy and a $27 environment levy into the general rates calculation. She said the actual rise in general rates had been 2.5pc. The addition of the two levies into general rates had altered the way in which rates were calculated.
This recalculation had resulted in a huge impact on parts of the rural sector, particularly those with the highest valued land.
“People were telling us they did not want to pay these levies separately to their general rates,” Cr Duff said.
“Unfortunately the legislation says once a budget has been announced we cannot change it.
“I would also like to add that council’s main focus in this budget is for rural roads because we need to put a lot of money into our rural road network and that is what we plan to do.”
AgForce South-East Queensland regional president Carolyn Stone said the South Burnett Regional Council needed to rethink its rates hike.
"The South Burnett is one of the 23 council areas in the 57 per cent of Queensland currently drought declared, and many local producers are doing it tough," Ms Stone said.
"This surprise rate hike puts unnecessary pressure on producers, and was imposed without any consultation and seemingly little consideration of the impact on local farm businesses or the flow through to other farm-dependent businesses.
"Some producers could end up paying tens of thousands of dollars more in council rates at a time when they can least afford it.
"Local ratepayers understand rural roads need to be repaired, and AgForce has worked with the council on improving regional agricultural freight routes while we continue to lobby the State Government for more road funding.
"However, landholders have seen no well-prepared road maintenance timeline and can't understand how the council justifies such a large hike on one part of the community in one hit."
Cr Duff said although the budget could not be adjusted the discount period for paying rates had been extended. In addition there were alternative payment plans were available.
AgForce’s call follow recent heated community meetings that have attracted crowds of more than 150 people, and ahead of the rates notices going out next month.
