April 1, 2022
AgForce is urging Queensland landholders not to delay if they want to object to new land valuations.
The Valuer-General released new valuations this week in 30 local government areas including the South Burnett, Gympie, North Burnett, Somerset and Toowoomba.
AgForce CEO Michael Guerin said objections need to be lodged with the Valuer-General by May 30.
“Unimproved values determine what council rates rural landholders pay and are also used to calculate leasehold rents, so it’s important the figures are right,” Mr Guerin said.
“In recent years, AgForce has assisted many members secure significant reductions in valuations, resulting in large savings, and once again we are ready to assist with our free workshops to help people assess their valuations and find out more about the objection process.
“AgForce has also prepared a property map for each member property potentially affected by this year’s valuations.”
AgForce valuer John Moore said responsibility for ensuring values were correct lay with landowners, not local governments.
“Unimproved values are done by mass appraisal, meaning your property isn’t individually valued so errors can occur,” Mr Moore said.
“It’s important you object to your new valuation if you believe the unimproved value is too high, because it could result in large savings in rates or rent.”
Landowners who disagree with their valuation and are able to provide supporting information can lodge their objection online or at the address shown at the top of their valuation notice by May 30.
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Resources Minister Scott Stewart said he had been advised by the Valuer-General that while the valuations were completed before the floods, they had already considered the impact of historic flooding.
However, a land valuation could be amended if floods, cyclones or other natural disasters caused the land to be permanently damaged.
He said landholders affected by flooding for the first time, or where flooding had exceeded historic levels, should call 1300-664-217.
Mr Stewart urged property owners to appeal their valuations if their properties had flooded for the first time in February.
The Valuer-General would also consider appeals beyond the standard 60-day period and would take an empathetic approach when considering appeals lodged by flood-affected residents beyond that period.
Mr Stewart said the land valuation notices were only a guide for councils when considering total rate charges for landowners; whether councils pass valuation changes on in their rates is a matter for them.
- Download: Flooding Fact Sheet (353kb PDF)
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