Local farmers continue to keep the pressure on Whakatane District Council as it deliberates over the Long Term Plan.

Council's heard from everyone who wants to have their say and is now deciding which points to take on board.

Rate increases for higher value land under the capital rating system, has been the hottest topic, with up to forty farmers attending this week's meetings.

Whakatane Galatea Federated Farmers Chair, John Howard explains they're frustrated by a perceived lack of transparency promised by Council.

He says even now the general rate is still having things lumped into it, obscuring transparency to costing.

He says without it, you haven't got accountability, and without accountability you've got cost over-runs and a big 'slush fund' of money.

Mr Howard says this is the rural rate-payers' money, who under a capital system have put the most money into it.

He adds they've done a cost analysis of the Whakatane District Council and Bay of Plenty Regional Council rates that farmers are paying.

He says they've divided the figure for total rates by the number of houses on each property, finding a cost per house.

Mr Howard says some of these were on a cost of up to $15,000 per house, compared to $3-$5,000 a house in Whakatane or Ohope.

He believes this is a massive difference for farmers to pay.