Farming families across Mackay region are receiving unhappy news as rates bills arrive, being slugged with a 10.39% increase in their already high rates.
Mackay Canegrowers and Mackay Sugar have spoken out against the Mackay Regional Council’s recent volley of farming rates rises.
“In a year where we have a reduced crop, the lowest sugar price in a decade, and rapidly increasing costs of production and cost of living, this is an absolute punch in the guts,” said Mackay Canegrowers Chairman Joseph Borg.
“Over three years, and three successive budgets, we have spoken to Mackay Regional Council to articulate the key issues for our industry, the relationship between farm business viability, land under cane and mill viability.
“Council continues to maintain glossy images and talk about the sugar industry as a pillar of the economy, but it’s brand of support is seeing farming families slugged by an increase 3.2 percent higher than any residential category. And let’s not forget farms are also people’s homes.”
“This rise is a blindside, a disgrace to Mackay’s name as the sugar city.” READ MORE.