MACKAY canegrowers are facing rates of up to $18,000, despite council providing some of the lowest increases to the industry in the 2024-25 budget.
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"We have bent over backwards to cater for the cane farmers and I'm really disappointed about this rate capping exercise. It had no support around the table except for a couple [of councillors]," Mackay Regional Council mayor Greg Williamson said.
"The cane growers in the last budget and in this budget have got the lowest increase across the board. It's almost inequitable what we've done."
After council's budget meeting wrapped up on June 26, Cr Williamson addressed the concerns of cane growers who have experienced land valuation hikes due to residential and industrial growth.
Canegrowers Mackay stated cane being lumped in the same category as other agricultural groups was not fair due to growers relying on the price of cane rather than equitable business profits.
Cr Williamson said the average rate increase for cane growers was 2.5 per cent over the two budgets.
"Most people in the domestic areas of Mackay would just love that," he said.
He also stated that council had reduced the rate in the dollar last year by 20pc for growers.
This year, it has been reduced to around 17pc.
"Out of the 1330-odd cane farms in terms of our rating properties ... 30pc have got a rate decrease this year," Cr Williamson said.
Despite some growers reportedly being lumped with rates in excess of $10,000, Cr Williamson said it was only a "handful" of properties "being hard done by".
"We're talking about a handful of people at the top end of town ... [who] got significant increases in their valuations and that means their asset base just went through the roof," he said.
"Most people who are paying rates in the region would love to have their rates go through the roof so they can flog off their property."
Canegrowers Mackay chairman Kevin Borg said a lack of understanding from the mayor and council about the industry had caused them to yet again miss the mark.
"The problem is ... [they think growers] are sitting on a big asset, but that's unrealised value. [Growers] don't realise that value until they sell that farm," he said.
"Their productive figures and their income figures are no different to anyone else's in the industry. Just because they're sitting on a high value property that does not mean they're turning off more than anyone else and able to cop the brunt [of high rates]."
Mr Borg said he had repeatedly tried to brief council but had received the cold shoulder.
"If the price drops out of sugar, people have ... got to get a loan to pay their rates," he said.
"We're price takers, not price makers. We can't pass our cost on, we just take for our sugar what the world price has provided."
Mr Borg said one grower who pays $18,000 a year for his 80ha property is working another job to make ends meet.
He also said council had the capacity to create another category for cane and the outliers who experienced steep increases in valuations.
"Bring it back to an equitable position. They've got the capacity to do anything they like as far as rating goes," he said.
"They can't change the rate in the dollar in a category but they can make a new category."
While early rate payers previously received a 10pc discount, they will now receive a 6pc discount, said Mr Borg.
Cr Williamson said he would prefer to do away with discounts to provide equity across the board.
"Sugar cane is the backbone of our region and they're making decisions that are impacting our growers' viability," Mr Borg said.
"If they think they're not trying to break people, they're having a good go at it."
