By Kerri-Anne Mesner
ASTRONOMICAL rate increases of up to 70 per cent could see traditional Keilor market gardens disappear within five years.
Land evaluations which took place this year mean some ratepayers could be hit with rate hikes much higher than the 3.92 per cent proposed by Brimbank City Council in its draft 2008-09 budget.
For the Keilor farmers, a massive increase in rates would only add to the list of factors, including the State Government’s Green Wedge legislation, drought and an eight-month-long water restrictions, hindering their capability to survive in the agriculture industry.
Brimbank City Council handed down its draft budget at a special meeting on Tuesday night.
Council chief executive Nick Foa said rates were based on the value of the property and the council had decided to keep the rate rise at a low figure this year due to it being a land evaluation year.
Figures provided by the council show the land value of the 28 farms in the municipality had risen by 65.9 per cent.
Keilor market garden farmer Bobby Koroneos said this would be the third time the council had tried to increase farmers’ rates by such a massive percentage.
He said the council tried to double farmers’ rates three years ago, and again last year.
Mr Koroneos, along with fellow Keilor farmer Patrick Senserrick, believes the land value rise was due to a parcel of land sold recently in the area.
Mr Senserrick, a fifth-generation Keilor farmer, sold a block of land of less than 1.5 acres as a lifestyle property on which someone was to build a house for about $300,000 per acre, while general growing areas are worth about $50,000 per acre.
He said even if the block was sold for half that price, no grower would buy it because it was too small for crops.
“We are paying almost domestic rates for land that is supposed to be classed as growing land,” he said.
Mr Senserrick said while the council assured the farmers it wanted agriculture to continue in the area, there were no concessions on farm rates.
“We are trying to get some answers from council as to what the future holds for that area,” Mr Senserrick said.
“There won’t be any farms in five years if the rates go the way they are going. No one will be able to afford to grow. It will be left to grow weeds.”
Mr Koroneos said Keilor farmers had been subjected to eight month-long water restrictions, which meant they could not use water from Maribyrnong River, which costs about $50 per megalitre, but could instead buy town water for about $1000 per megalitre.
Mr Senserrick said some farms were struggling to keep up with maintenance, with weeds sprouting in some areas.
“Our cost to produce far exceeds any growing area in Victoria,” he said.
