CORRECTION: RECORD LOW OBJECTION LEVEL FOR 2008 QUEENSLAND PROPERTY VALUATIONS

A record low number of objections have been received for the 2008 round of property valuations issued by the Department of Natural Resources and Water.

Natural Resources and Water Minister Craig Wallace said his department this year issued over a million valuations in 59 local government areas in Queensland.

“From over a million valuations NRW received only 6000 objections,” Mr Wallace said.

“This equates to just 0.58 per cent of valuations – a joint record low with last year when 0.57 per cent of valuations drew objections.

“It is well below the 1.63 per cent of objections received after the 2006 round.”

From 1999 to 2006 the number of objections was consistently well over 1 per cent.

The Bligh Government is improving and refining the services it provides to Queenslanders, including valuations.

“The drop in objections follows the introduction of improved and more detailed information about valuations available through the NRW website, a call centre and a postal campaign explaining the valuations process,” Mr Wallace said.

Minister Wallace said rising land prices in many areas of Queensland were reflected in the new valuation figures.

“These increased valuations reflect the booming Queensland economy and continued population growth as more people are attracted to the State,” Mr Wallace said.

The Natural Resources and Water Department calculates land values in Queensland each year. Parcels of land are given an unimproved value – the amount for which they would be expected to sell with no improvements such as houses, fences and earthworks.

Where objections to land valuations are made, they are first considered by one of the department’s senior valuers, who were not part of the initial valuation assessment. Landholders have rights to appeal the senior valuer’s decision on the objection to the Land Court.

Of the objections received and reviewed in 2007, 86 per cent were resolved through the objection hearing process.

The new valuations are a snapshot of unimproved land values as at October 1 last year, based on changes in the local property market, and reflecting former local government boundaries.

Media contact: Paul Childs, Minister Wallace’s office, 0407 131 654.