The petitioners whose names and signatures appear hereunder petition the East Gippsland shire Council as follows -

As a consequence of the loss of farmer income across East Gippsland Shire caused by drought and depressed financial returns over a significant period of time, the exhaustion of farmers financial reserves as a result thereof, falling agricultural land values and farmers now desperate circumstances we, the undersigned, petition Council to stop the 12.09% rate increase on agricultural land for rating year 1st July, 2019 to 30th June, 2020 and to reduce Council rates to significantly below rating year 1st July, 2018 to 30th june, 2019 levels because of historically falling agricultural land values.