Federated Farmers believe a proposed average rate increase of 19 per cent by the Hawke's Bay Regional Council is "excessive and obscene".
Speaking on their submission to the Long Term Plan, called "Facing Our Future 2018-2028", Federated Farmers Hawke's Bay president Jim Galloway said the 19 per cent is only an average, meaning farmers are facing much higher increases - some exceeding 50 per cent.
He said a Hastings farm will increase by 27 per cent, a Central Hawke's Bay farm by 24 per cent and a Wairoa farm by 17 per cent, while his own farm would increase by 29 per cent - despite it already having gone up by 49 per cent over the past two years.
"These numbers are massive and will have a material impact on us."
"Farmers are facing increased operating costs and are finding rates an ever-increasing unproductive cost that funnels resources away from investing in updated technology or environmental actions. It often feels that councils can just up the rates when they want extra money, whereas the rest of us can't do that."