NORTH EAST AND GOULBURN MURRAY
Part of the Farmer Group Rural Newspapers Covering Victoria Published since 1984
37 Rowan Street, Wangaratta 3677
MAY, 2015
Productive pastures
Water comment from Bruce Diffey
‘Farmer to farmer’
PAGES 11-14
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Farmers seek rate inquiry Victorian producers pay up to seven times the residential rate
RODEO SUCCESS: TONGALA bareback rider Cody Tyrrell secured a spot in the Warwick Rodeo Australian Championships with victories in three of the four Easter rodeos that were held recently in Victoria. Mr Tyrrell won the bareback bronc ride at Omeo, Lang Lang and Buchan and was second at Great Western behind NSW cowboy Ben Hall. All prize money won during the season will convert into points going into the finals at Warwick. Riders who finish in the top 15 for the season will qualify for the national championships over four rounds at the Warwick Rodeo on October 22-25. PHOTO: courtesy of Dave Ethell
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VICTORIAN farmers want a full review into the fairness and equity of local government rates and the sustainability of local government. The Victorian Farmers’ Federation (VFF) is calling on all state members of parliament to support an inquiry into what the lobby group believes is unequitable and unfair local government rates. VFF president Peter Tuohey said that the current local government funding system is unsustainable and farmers are bearing an unfair share of the rates burden. “Farmers are paying, on average, two and a half times more in local council rates than other commercial businesses in rural and regional shires. “This can’t continue. “The reality is rural councils have had their funding cut by state and federal government, past and present, yet no one will take responsibility for ďŹ nding a solution,â€? Mr Tuohey said. In the 1990s, 1.3 per cent of Australia’s taxation revenue
BY JODIE FLEMING
jfleming@ nemedia.com.au
was allocated to local government grants. Today, that number has more than halved to 0.6 per cent of the Commonwealth’s tax revenue. “If the Commonwealth had kept its commitment at 1.3 per cent, Victorian councils would have access to an additional $728 million,â€? Mr Tuohey said. “We need governments -state and federal-to bite the bullet and commit to a bipartisan inquiry that ďŹ nds long-term solutions to the local government funding, rather than engaging in ďŹ nger pointing and a political blame game.â€? Last year the VFF presented a 3600 signature petition to Parliament calling for a parliamentary inquiry into local government rates and sustainability. „ Continued page 7
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