The Weekly Advertiser - Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Page 1

Vol. No. Vol. 2018No. 50 27

FREE PUBLICATION

A FREE PUBLICATION FROM YOUR LOCAL RADIO STATIONS 3WM AND MIXXFM

Wednesday, January 13, 2018 2016 Wednesday, June 27, AND THE WINNER IS: Leeann and Mark ‘Chad’ O’Beirne of Horsham are looking forward to a $12,500 Greek Island holiday next year. Mark won the holiday package for two in The Weekly Advertiser and radio stations 3WM and MIXX FM’s Ultimate Greek Island Getaway competition. The couple’s entry was one of thousands that filled entry boxes at participating businesses across the region. The O’Beirnes will have to wait a few months before embarking on their adventure. Story, page 3. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

Rate appeal denied H

BY SARAH SCULLY

orsham Rural City Council has denied an eleventh-hour plea to reduce a farm-rate burden despite a strong turnout of disgruntled farmers at a budget meeting on Monday.

About 100 residents, primarily from the rural sector, rallied outside Horsham Civic Centre ahead of the meeting, calling for a ‘fair go’ on rates. Under the council’s 2018-19 draft budget and rating strategy, the farm sector was facing a rate increase of 11.8 percent, while the residential sector was due to decrease by 0.6 percent. The last-minute show of support

stemmed from a callout at a Victorian Farmers Federation rally at Kalkee on Friday. About 150 farmers from across the Wimmera attended the meeting, designed to raise awareness of the ‘unfair’ rate distribution in councils’ draft budgets and to call for a fair increase for all categories. Federation president David Jochinke, who farms at Murra Warra north of Horsham, said he was pleased by the interest in Friday’s meeting. “There was an excellent turnout. The interest goes to show we are talking about real people’s money and real people’s lives,” he said. Meeting leaders called on those present to attend their council’s budget

helps ease some of the burden.” As a result, the council changed the farm rate differential from 65 percent to 52 percent. Cr Driscoll said the council had limited capacity for change since it had to comply with the Local Government Act. “The rating system is fundamentally flawed and we’re trying to do the best we can to even out the flaws,” he said. Mr Jochinke said the council’s decision demonstrated councillors understood what the rate burden meant to the farming community. “They also understand this is a bandaid solution and that there has to be a way to better handle rates distribu-

meeting. Both Northern Grampians Shire and Horsham Rural City adopted budgets on Monday. Northern Grampians farmers in particular were facing large farm-rate spikes across the board due to a big rise in the value of farm land. Northern Grampians mayor Tony Driscoll said on average, farm rates were due to go up 25 percent. “A lot were due to go up 35 to 40 percent and higher,” he said. “We saw that as untenable and in order to redress the situation we decided to make a 2.25 percent rate increase across our three sectors, residential, farming and recreation. “It isn’t a perfect outcome but it

tion,” he said. “They have proven that councils have the ability to provide a fair and equitable distribution – if they have the gumption.” Mr Jochinke said he was disappointed the Horsham council was given the same opportunity but chose not to follow suit. “We do accept the role of a council is to make decisions but we don’t agree with the outcome,” he said. “I don’t understand why we have to go to such great lengths to point out to councillors that if you increase the burden of one category drastically, yet decrease another, it is fundamentally unfair.” Continued page 5

IN THIS ISSUE • Water relief • Monthly AgLife • Football-netball coverage • Volleyball finals

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