Farmers race to get land de-zoned ahead of May tax deadline

New levy is designed to incentivise house building but farmers say they have no plans to build housing on their land despite its zoning

Farmers near towns traditionally sought to zone their land as residential because it could drive up its value significantly. Stock image

Local authorities in key commuter belt counties are being hit with a flurry of requests from landowners seeking the rezoning of their land to an agricultural zoning from residential.

The requests come ahead of a looming deadline in May for landowners of residential zoned land to pay a new tax designed to incentivise house building.