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Farmers fear loss of voice in fire service merger

Author
Sam Thompson,
Publish Date
Sun, 1 May 2016, 6:23AM

Farmers fear loss of voice in fire service merger

Author
Sam Thompson,
Publish Date
Sun, 1 May 2016, 6:23AM

Farmers fear their voice will be lost with the merger of rural and urban fire services.

Over $300 million of funding has been set up by the Government to be used over four years to combine rural and urban fire services.

Federated Farmers rural fire spokesperson Anders Crofoot said there's fear from rural stakeholders and landowners that their views will be drowned out by the urban majority.

"It'll take some careful working, mixing those two cultures and recognise in the rural context, fire is actually used as a land management tool, rather than something to put out as quickly as possible."

Federated Farmers want a rates cut with a merger of rural and urban fire services.

Mr Crofoot said they will be asking councils around the country for a rates reduction.

He said with territorial authorities no longer responsible for providing or funding rural fire service, they expect to see a commensurate drop in rates and not an increase in other areas by stealth.

"I think people will need to be aware of that because they would probably quite like to not lower the rates at all, and just apply the money that was being used for fire and other things in the future, but that's not what it was being collected for."

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