Former mayor Norm Mann is concerned the few local primary producers who still run large enterprises will downsize rather than pay the increases in land valuations he has had to cop.

Every four years the NSW Valuer General sends out its 2011 valuations to residents of the region.

Council uses these valuations as a guide to setting its rates.

The average local increase between 2007 and 2011 is about six per cent, an increase Mr Mann would be more than happy to accept.

“I started to get curious, so had a look at the type of increases I’ve been hit with over the years,” he said yesterday.

“I’ve got 2500 acres (1000 hectares) 10 kilometres from Bathurst on the Freemantle Road which is split into two titles.

“Between 2003 and 2007 there were increases of 119 and 109 per cent respectively and from 2007 to 2011 there were further increases of 23 per cent and 26 per cent.

“That’s a total increase over six years of 142 per cent and 135 per cent.

“You can image how I felt when I read the story in the Western Advocate which said the average increase across the region over the past four years was only six per cent.”

Mr Mann said he doesn’t blame council for the massive increase in his land values.

“And I can’t work out why one half the property would be valued differently to the other half,” he said. “I think the inflated valuations stem from the fact that I have 21 neighbours.

“What really worries me is that the sales of nearby subdivided properties has inflated the value of true agricultural land like mine.

“I wonder if I am being assessed on the potential to subdivide and what that land may be worth. I am not against these lifestyle blocks, but valuations like this does put productive agricultural land at risk.

“I would be interested to know if any other people on the land have experienced similar anomalies in their land values.”