PASTORALISTS are concerned about the future of their industry following the State Government's decision to increase pastoral rents for the third time in three years.
Some pastoralists are saying their rates have increased by 700 per cent.
With pastoralists facing rising costs in an industry that is already ageing, the fear is that the further increases may drive prospective people away from the industry and for those already involved, be the nail in the coffin for many after a series of tough years.
Pastoralists and Graziers Association president Rob Gillam hoped there may have been some relief for pastoralists from the third increase because the 2009 increase was so large, averaging 335pc on a Statewide basis.
"The problem with the rent increases is at the moment it's applied as one size fits all," Mr Gillam said.
"While we have been given an indication there may be a new system in place to assess the rental increases next time around we are yet to see that.
"There is no reason for that not to progress before 2014.
"The increase is causing a lot of angst for a lot of people and it is demoralising.
"Many pastoralists feel that no one cares if their business is successful or not.
"While many pastoralists will just absorb the increase as best they can, it will mean improvements that were to be done to properties won't get done."
Member for the Mining and Pastoral Region Jon Ford blames the mining industry and the current government for the third round of increases believing that pastoralists should be getting paid for looking after stations because of the contributions that they make.
"The government has refused to address the issue surrounding mining tenements but is happy to increase pastoral rents," he said.
"The buck has to stop somewhere.
"The reason councils and local governments are hitting pastoralists with rent increases are because they are the only ones the government can reach.
"Large portions of pastoralists' viable land in the Pilbara and Gascoyne regions have been taken away for mining.
"Pastoralists are hardworking people who have made sacrifices their whole life, one thing they have in common is that they are getting older and it's getting harder attracting people into this industry.
"Raising rent prices will only make it harder to do so."
Pastoralist Norma Ward, Millrose station, said she felt that every time she turned around it seemed to cost her.
"This is just another extra thing they have hit us with that makes it more difficult," Ms Ward said.
Parliamentary Secretary to the Lands Minister Wendy Duncan said pastoralists needed to keep in mind that the average pastoral rent being charged in WA equated to 5.3 cents a hectare or an average of 40 cents per DSE.
"Per cattle unit per year it equates to about $2.80," she said.
"If you can't pay $2.80 per beast per year, for use of the State Government's land then your business probably isn't viable.
"We have to remember that the highest rate in WA paid by a pastoralist is still only 33 cents a hectare."
Ms Duncan said she did not agree with comments that rent increases were driving pastoralists away from the industry and put that down to other pressures they were facing.
"The State Government has done a large amount to mitigate the rent increases and lower the impact on pastoralists," she said.
"The problem is the increases came from such a low base.
"Through working with the Pastoral Lands Board the Government lowered the rate down from 3pc to 2pc of unimproved capital value.
"WA Lands Minister Brendon Grylls then introduced legislation to phase in the increases over three years rather than having them all coming in one hit in July 2009.
"Finally with the live cattle export debacle last year, when the third increase was due, the State Government deferred it for six months.
"Since then having received quite a few representations with pastoralists over the impact of the live cattle ban, the government has again decided to waive six months of that final increase which equates to a $500,000 hit to government revenue.
"This means that even sheep producers and small stock producers in the pastoral industry got the benefit of the live cattle ban."
