By Rhett Burnie
A PROPOSED rating strategy that would have provided discounts of up to 20 per cent for more than 1000 of the region’s farmers has been rejected by Mitchell Shire Council.
The surprise decision was made at last week’s council meeting.
It followed the rejection of an alternative motion by Cr Sue Marstaeller, who moved to adopt all of the strategies policies except for one that would have seen a 98.2 per cent rates increase for pokie venues.
Under the strategy, $27,000 captured from pokie venues would have been used to introduce a gamblers’ help program in the Mitchell Shire.
But Cr Marstaeller said the increase would have ‘penalised’ some of the shire’s biggest employers.
“Gambling is not illegal,” she said.
“We don’t hit up Tattslotto agencies, TABs and racing clubs. Why should we penalise businesses that are big employers in the community?”
She said the State Government collects taxes from pokie machines and should pay for gamblers’ help programs.
Mitchell Shire Mayor Graeme Coppel disagreed, telling the meeting the rates increase on pokies venues would help problem gamblers in the region while directing ‘wasted money’ back into the community.
Cr Coppel went on to warn the chamber that if an alternative motion wasn’t settled on, the entire rates strategy could be thrown into jeopardy.
“If we can’t finalise this now we’re not doing our job well,” Cr Coppell said.
But minutes later no alternative had been reached and with just Cr Coppel, Cr Ross Lee and Cr Kelley Stewart voting in support of the strategy the plan was rejected. Cr Trevor Tobias was absent from the meeting.
While the strategies rejection is sure to please pokie venue operators, farmers working on more than 40 hectares of land will be less than impressed, with a plan to reduce their rates now out the window.
The strategy had allowed for a 10 per cent rate reduction for farmers on 40 to 100 hectares, while those on more than 100 hectares would have had their rates slashed by 20 per cent.
Willowmavin farmer and former Mitchell Shire Cr Bob Humm said he was disappointed with the outcome.
“I don’t think that the councillors read their agenda properly, or understood their agenda,” he said.
“I think they missed it. They had obviously the opportunity for a rate reduction for farmers so they wouldn’t be rated the same as residential land,” he said.
He said councillors could have done more to stop the strategy being rejected entirely.
“They could have split them off so the rating strategy for EGMs (electronic gaming machines) could be dealt with separately
“As a former councillor I think it’s disgraceful that the rural people are again not being supported enough,” Mr Humm said.
Speaking to The North Central Review yesterday, Cr Marstaeller said councillors would most likely vote on the strategy again at next Monday’s meeting because no alternative had been agreed upon.
While the increase for pokie venues remained an issue, all councillors “agree on all the others (proposals),” Cr Marstaeller said.
