The Forest Owners Association (NZFOA) wants the incoming government to change the Local Government Act to protect minority ratepayers in rural areas, after a recent Court of Appeal judgement. The court dismissed a judicial review against Wairoa District Council, which had imposed rates on larger forest owners five times above those on neighbouring farms. In proceedings heard before the High Court in February 2022, the NZFOA challenged the rating decisions made by the Wairoa District Council in 2021, which reallocated the distribution of rates among Wairoa ratepayers.

https://www.gisborneherald.co.nz/news/nz-forestry-owners-association-says-court-finding-a-dreadful-precedent

#gisborneherald