IF the cost of your daily coffee went from $4 to $35.24 overnight you might think one of three things.

First, that the Zimbabwean government had taken over your coffee shop and inflation had spiralled out of control. Second, that they’d started serving coffee in gold plated cups. And third, that you wouldn’t buy coffee there again.

What if the same price hike applied to the new car you wanted to buy? If a Holden Commodore suddenly went from $35,000 to $308,350, then, like James Bond, you’d probably buy an Aston Martin instead. More likely you wouldn’t buy a new car at all.

And what about your council rates? If they suddenly went from $1100 a year to $9691 you might demand your councillors visit your house each week to quietly wheel your bins out to a (silent) rubbish truck and then return them to your yard. More likely you’d refuse to pay your bill and vote your councillors out at the next election.

Now, you’re probably thinking these examples are ridiculous. You’re probably thinking that an 881 per cent increase to the cost of a product or a service could happen only in a country like Zimbabwe.

If you think that, unfortunately, you are wrong. Because this month in South Australia, under the Weatherill Labor government, the rate of the Emergency Services Levy paid by farmers around the state increased anywhere between 450 per cent and 1312 per cent.

It’s bad enough that in the Adelaide metropolitan area the levy has increased around 160 per cent. But at least city residents are getting some value for their money, which by law must be spent on emergency services.

In 2014-15 spending in the Adelaide metropolitan area, on services like the Metropolitan Fire Service, is projected to be $190.7 million. The Emergency Services Levy collected on fixed property in city areas will be $170.8 million, leaving a $20 million shortfall.

In comparison, small country towns and farmers will pay $22.9 million towards the levy. Emergency Services in these areas will receive $9.4 million of direct funding. In other words, people from small country towns and their surrounding districts will pay $13.5 million more than they receive in services.

This is, to say the least, unfair.

It’s even more unfair when you consider the residents of small country towns and farmers are the volunteers who staff fire crews. When there’s a fire in their district — often in a government-managed national park — they don’t stand around waiting for professional fire fighters to arrive. They put on their firefighting gear, get on the fire truck and fight the fire.

Individual farmers also maintain their own firefighting equipment. If they’re not a CFS volunteer, they’ll be there helping out in their ute with firefighting equipment on the back. If the fire is near their farm, they’ll be at home defending their property. Their house will be protected by a fire break, and probably a sprinkler system.

So when farmers get hit with a 450-1312 per cent increase on their Emergency Services Levy that’s on top of their considerable private contribution.

It’s very hard not to feel like a second-rate citizen in rural and regional South Australia at the moment. The Emergency Services Levy is taking an extra $10.5 million out of rural areas this year. Marine Parks are reducing income in these same areas by $20 million a year. Sanctuary zones shut down wild catch fishing areas tomorrow.

The Weatherill Labor government continues to rip money out of the businesses and communities who contribute so much to this state and get so little in return.

Nicolle Flint is a member of the Liberal Party.