NEW HIGH-TECH SYSTEM ALLOWS INSTANT VALUATIONS

Land valuations which used to involve hours of mapping and filing tasks can now occur in the field within seconds with new technology developed by the Queensland Government.

Minister for Natural Resources and Water Craig Wallace said the department’s State Valuation Service had developed the vMAPS system, which allows complex mapping and valuation operations to be completed on notebook or hand-held computers “in the field”.

“Other state governments, New Zealand and private interests are all clamouring to get their hands on the new vMAPS system,” Mr Wallace said.

“That it was developed by current State Valuation Service staff without any additional resources speaks volumes for the expertise of NRW employees.”

Mr Wallace said the vMAPS system meant operations such as analysing land sales, vegetation mapping and accurately recording improvements to land could be performed on laptop or hand-held computers while standing on the land in question.

“Whole reports can be created in the field,” Mr Wallace said.

NRW State Valuation Service director Vern DiSalvo said prior to the new system departmental officers would write details in a notebook, return to the office and then write a valuation report

“With vMAPS, we can create reports in the field, we can analyse sales and conduct vegetation overlays, among other things,” Mr DiSalvo said.

Because staff performed the operation on the very ground they were investigating, the information was more accurate, he said.

“By the time we get back to the office the job is done.”

Mr DiSalvo said the other great benefit of the new system was for thematic mapping.

“We can do a whole revaluation of a local authority; we can create maps of market areas or like properties, we can check details in the office or in the field very quickly, we can attach images or reports, and we can interpret that data in lots of ways.

“It’s a really good way of picking up discrepancies, and that translates into savings because it cuts down on disputes over valuations,” Mr DiSalvo said.

Mr Wallace said as NRW completed more than 900,000 revaluations this year, those savings would be significant.

“That’s a huge amount of work and we can’t visit every property, but we have developed systems to deliver a quality product for the Smart State,” he said.

Mr Wallace said he had been advised Valuer-Generals from other states were “very keen” to adopt the system.

Media inquiries: Paul Childs, Craig Wallace’s office, on 0407 131 654.