Ararat farmers will receive a 40 per cent cut to their rates this financial year, after the council voted unanimously to pass on the Victorian Government’s drought support package directly to primary producers.

Rather than making farmers pay in full and apply for a rebate, councillors backed a streamlined approach that applies the relief automatically to all eligible farm properties as of June 30 this year. 

The funding will come from a lump sum payment provided by the state government’s Primary Producer Support Payments.

Mayor Jo Armstrong said at last Tuesday’s council meeting the system was “simpler, more efficient, more effective and more humane” than forcing producers through additional red tape. 

She credited the outcome to the Drought Response Taskforce and praised advocacy from Corangamite Shire’s Kate Makin and Victorian Farmers Federation president Brett Hosking.

“[This is] an example of advocacy when it works really, really well,” Armstrong said, noting the flow-on effects for the wider community. 

“They certainly put forward a very strong case for there to be a tangible benefit that doesn't just help out only the primary producers… but that flows out across our local economy.”

What is a primary producer?

A primary producer is a resident of a local government area who utilises their land to earn an income, such as maintaining livestock to sell their milk, wool or meat, cultivating crops, or another form of agricultural production for profit.

Strong support for drought relief

Councillor Luke Preston said the help was timely given what local farmers had “been through of late and the challenges they have ahead of them”.

Councillor Bill Waterson called it “a great initiative” and said he hadn’t heard any negative feedback from those on the land.

The relief will apply to general farm rates and the municipal charge for 2025–26. Waste services and other state charges are excluded.

While the dollar figure and number of eligible properties haven’t been disclosed, council staff confirmed the payment will fully cover the cost of the reductions.

The move comes amid prolonged drought conditions in western Victoria.

A pollution consequence

The Ararat region experienced consistent July rainfall, however scientists and Agriculture Victoria officers warn the soil moisture in western Victoria remains “well below average” for this time of year.

This is because of significant decreases in cool season rainfall across southern Australia, due to an increase of high-pressure systems pushing rain-bearing cold fronts away from the region.

A report by Environment Victoria notes the high-pressure systems are in part a consequence of burning fossil fuels.

These fossil fuels produce carbon dioxide and methane, which build up in the Earth’s atmosphere and trap heat, increasing global temperatures and altering the way large volumes of air in the atmosphere and storm tracks move around the planet.