Whitsunday residents react to land valuation increases

Hundreds of Whitsunday homeowners have received the news their land value has significantly increased, leading to many worrying about rates. Council says this will be first on the list for the new mayor when he enters office. PHOTOS

Hundreds of Whitsunday homeowners have received the news their land value has significantly increased, leading to many worrying about rates.

The Queensland government has released figures that re-evaluate land value for a total of 675,000 properties across 20 local government areas in Queensland.

In the Whitsundays, the difference in land value has been significant with the average increase at 40 per cent in Airlie Beach, 30 per cent in Proserpine and near 70 per cent in Collinsville.

Bowen resident and CEO of Stella Life Faileen James said her land value had gone up almost 20 per cent from $76,000 to $86,000.

“To be perfectly frank, I’m a white middle class woman who is financially secure, so there will be no impacts on me,” Ms James shared.

“[But] the flow on effects will probably be that land owners put their rents up to cover the increased rates, so land value flows into rate cost, flows into rental cost, flows into the ability for young people to buy their first homes.

“It means the vulnerable and disadvantaged in this town will be further disadvantaged.”

Bowen resident Faileen James has shared how much her land value has increased. Picture: Supplied

In the Cannon Valley area, concerns were directed at rate increases for Wings Sailing owner Mike Wings whose land valuation jumped from $230,000 to $310,000 which represents a 34 per cent increase.

“I’ve straight away thought about rates when I saw it,” Mr Wings said.

Cannon Valley resident Mike Wings has shared his fears regarding council rates after receiving news of land valuation. Picture: Estelle Sanchez

Out in Shute Harbour, Volunteer Marine Rescue president Mal Priday said rates had increased at around 17 per cent, basing his calculations on his neighbour’s house that had gone up from $320,000 to $375,000.

Mr Priday said he believed council rates were not likely to vary too much come June as a new mayor was taking over, and that if they did increase rates “it’d be a short lived council”.

Shute Harbour resident Mal Priday has shared how his land value has gone up. Picture: Supplied

Whitsunday Regional Council director of corporate services Jason Bradshaw said the land valuations increases would be presented to the new council mayor when he officially started in office to consider whether rates needed to change.

“The changes in valuations will be considered in the rating methods used by council but the valuation is only one component of the calculation and council will be reassessing all rating categories as it does each year,” Mr Bradshaw said.

“It should be stated that just because the valuation may have doubled doesn’t mean that the rates will double.”

Mr Bradshaw said significant sales in the Whitsundays had triggered a spike in land values over the last three years, but he suggested shortening the three-year gap between state land reeavaluation could take the sharp edge off increases.

This publication has reached out to a few Collinsville residents who said they had not received their land valuation yet.