Cereal and stock farmers Heidi and Chris Glen have been left "incensed" by the decision, which will see them pay $12,610 in rates next financial year — up from $9076 — as council attempts to harmonise rates between the former Wakool and Murray shires.
“It will hit us hard in the hip-pocket and we won’t receive more services,” Ms Glen said.
She said the rise in rates was a result of the farm's land value increasing by a whopping 60 per cent, compared to a 10 per cent increase three years earlier. It means farmers will pay more in council rates than Sydneysiders in Woollahra.
The 2019 valuation of the Glens’ land was $2,417,000. For similarly valued land in Woollahra residents pay about $3000 in annual rates.
“It's unjustifiable, there's no way land value here went up that much in three years,” Ms Glen said.
But Elders Deniliquin rural sales consultant Matt Horn said the increase in land value over three years seemed reasonable.
“The main driver behind increased land value in the area is decreasing lending rates and rising commodity rates,” he said.
Ms Glen said she was forced to pay the base rate of $273.35 five times as her farm contained land under a variety of titles.
“We're a multi-generational farm with parcels in different family members’ names and we can't amalgamate for many thousands of dollars each time, it's not viable,” she said.
But she urged rural ratepayers with multiple assessments in the exact same name to amalgamate them.
“Otherwise they will be hit with multiple base rate components on rates,” she said.
Councillor Geoff Wise said this decision was the biggest thing he had lost sleep over during his time in council.
“I’m very sorry to a lot of people, especially in (the former Murray) side of our shire that are going to have to front quite a lot more money,” he said at the meeting.
“I see a lot of people complaining land value has risen 60 per cent and in some cases their rates have gone up by 40 to 50 per cent.
“There’s a lot of issues with the amalgamation of lots in the shire that would save some people a considerable amount of money; some people have five to 10 different lots and if they could amalgamate them to one $273 lot that would be much appreciated.
“I think to get the cost back of stamp duty would take three generations to catch up.”
However, Cr Gen Campbell said “it is what it is”.
“Land values are rising and we’re complaining; well, if land prices were decreasing there’d be hell to pay, so land values rising — yippee I say,” she said.
Cr Tom Weyrich said just because property prices had gone up did not mean income had too.
“Property prices have increased but income has decreased, so how are people expected to pay extra in rates?” he said.
“It’s my view the residents of the former Murray Shire are the big losers in this and the residents of the former Wakool Shire are probably the winners.”
MRC chief executive Des Bilske said there were some larger changes than usual, both increases and decreases — a result of property values rising and harmonising rates between the merged councils.
“The new property valuations that were undertaken by the NSW valuer general’s office in 2019 now come into effect from July 1, along with the introduction of rates harmonisation across the council,” he said.
Rates and annual charges, with the exception of the stormwater levy, have been increased by the rate peg of 2.60 per cent.