JUNE 9, 2015 \ MELTON.STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
NEWS + SPORT + PROPERTY GUIDE
Feet up in the boss’s shoes
(Joe Mastroianii)
Year 9 student Karlee had the top job last Wednesday … and, despite the photo, it wasn’t all tea and biscuits. As part of national Student Principal for a Day, the Kurunjang Secondary College student took over the reins from school principal Sandra Eglezos, stepping into her shoes for a day. “I got to listen in on some of the meetings that happen in the principal’s office, got to go to the morning briefing and the morning tea,” Karlee says. “It was fun to see how teachers are when they are not … you know, going on in the classroom.” Karlee says the experience made her appreciate the workload of principals and teachers, and to finally find out what teachers giggle about in that mysterious staffroom. ‘Student connectedness’ leading teacher Tegan Aquilina says the day gives students an opportunity to find out what’s happening on the “other side”. “It’s about bringing connectedness to the school; to let students know they and their opinions are valued. “We always talk about how much teachers do, but students also put in a lot of time and effort.” Sumeyya Ilanbey
Farms hit hard by rates A fifth-generation farmer fears Moorabool council’s five per cent rate rise could force him to “shut shop”. Chris Sharkey’s family has worked the Balliang farm for a century. But speaking out about the council’s draft budget last week, Mr Sharkey said the proposed rate increase would be detrimental to his business. “Fifteen to 20 per cent of our expenses are rates,” Mr Sharkey told the councillors. “That’s too much and it’s affecting our business decisions.” Councillors adopted its 2015-16 budget with
a five per cent rate increase, which it says will be offset in part by a 2.25 per cent cut to waste service charges. As a result, overall rates will increase by 4.1 per cent. “Rates make up a considerable amount of our expenses and it’s the only thing we don’t have any control over,” Mr Sharkey told Star Weekly. “The cost is that great that it’s influencing the business decisions we’re making; it’s making us really cautious.” Moorabool mayor Paul Tatchell said farmers were being “absolutely screwed” by the rating system. “How do we balance the budget? Do we
increase the rates on punters living in houses? Is that fair?” Cr Tatchell asked. Mr Sharkey said he was disappointed councils evaluated his farm land as a commodity and not a resource. “I have to clear $1000 over and above what I’m doing to pay this year’s rates,” he said. “And this is on top of the rate increase from last year, and the year before and the year before that.” The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) released a report earlier this year comparing business rates in rural and regional Victoria. It found farmers, on average, would pay 2.5 times as much in rates as other commercial businesses this financial year.
The VFF found “fundamental” problems with the rating system for farmland. “Farming, generally, utilises a large amount of unimproved land and, as a result, municipal rates are a tax on a means of production,” the report states. “The value of farmland does not necessarily reflect the income potential of the land. Agricultural land is not always valued on the basis of productivity.” Moorabool farmers contribute 13 per cent to the council’s coffers. The VFF found “inequity between farming and other commercial businesses is predominant in councils reliant on farm rates for greater than 10 per cent of their rates revenue”.
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By Sumeyya Ilanbey