By ALENA HIGGINS
RATES across the district could be set for another shake-up after it was revealed the Southern Downs local government area will be subject to an annual valuation.
The review was first brought to the Free Times’ attention last week when a letter from the acting executive director of the State Valuation Service to former Southern Downs Regional Council (SDRC) CEO Andrew Roach was included in the correspondence section of council’s October business paper.
In the letter dated 7 October 2014, Vern Di Salvo thanks Mr Roach for seeking the department’s advice on whether or not an annual valuation (effective 30 June 2015) should be undertaken, and notes Mr Roach advised that one should occur.
The letter goes on to say after considering the statutory requirements, the Valuer General has decided that a annual valuation will be undertaken.
The news comes just weeks after a group of angry ratepayers took SDRC to task over “cash grabbing” more than two year’s worth of back-dated rates the result of a maintenance valuation. SDRC subsequently resolved to waive the fees following fierce public backlash.
A Department of Natural Resources and Mines (DNRM) spokesman confirmed the new valuations “are determined as at 1 October 2014 and will become effective as at 30 June 2015”.
“The decision to undertake a new valuation for the Southern Downs Regional Council (SDRC) for 2015 was made following consultation with the local council, local groups and industry stakeholders and an evaluation of the property market survey report,” he said.
“State Valuation Service valuers undertake an annual property market survey of each local government area in Queensland to determine which of them should be subject to annual land valuations.
“This process has determined that the Southern Downs Regional Council will be one of 29 rateable local government areas in Queensland that will receive new land valuations in 2015.”
Under the Land Valuation Act 2010, valuation notices have to be issued no later than 31 March in the year in which the annual valuation is to take effect.
The last annual valuation of properties in the SDRC area occurred on 1 October 2011.
The DNRM has no role in setting council rates and land valuations do not automatically mean that local government rates will increase, the spokesman said.
More information about valuations is available at: www.qld.gov.au/environment/land/title/valuation/about/index.html
