PRETTY PENNY: Farmers’ fears for future impacts of increasing land valuation
They've been watching valuations in other regions with growing 'trepidation'
Bundaberg
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The consortium of Bundaberg region farmers outraged by last year's rates rise for the agricultural sector have voiced concerns for the future amid the latest round of Queensland land valuations.
After the significant land valuation increase last year and its impact on Bundaberg Regional Council rates the consortium (which includes members from AgForce, Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers, Canegrowers Isis and Bundaberg Canegrowers) viewed the 2021 valuation with "trepidation".
The Bundaberg local government area was not among those valued this year.
The 25 areas which were valued include: Balonne, Banana, Barcaldine, Barcoo, Blackall-Tambo, Bulloo, Burdekin, Central Highlands, Charters Towers, Cook, Diamantina, Gladstone, Gympie, Isaac, Longreach, Maranoa, Murweh, Paroo, Quilpie, Somerset, Southern Downs, Tablelands, Toowoomba, Western Downs and Whitsunday.
General rates are calculated by multiplying the rateable value of a property by the category's cents in the dollar rate.
Department of Resources spokesperson said the decision to undertake an Annual Valuation was made annually by the Valuer-General following consultation with councils, local groups and industry stakeholders and consideration of property market survey reports.
Canegrowers Isis' Peter McLennan said "we had heard a whisper that land valuations - largely on the back of low interest rates and some relief from the low commodity prices that have dogged us for years - will be going up for Bundaberg region in the 2022 Valuer-General round of valuations".
"We don't know for certain, but these latest figures for 25 other council regions in Queensland are shocking," he said.
"We're not saying every council is as relentlessly going after their farmers, but if Bundaberg Regional Council can put rates increases of up to 235 per cent on the back of last year's Valuer-General's report, where will this stop?
"It is extremely worrying for all farmers. The compounding impact of the current cash grab alone is disastrous - and Jack Dempsey and Steve Johnston have not given any indication that they will not repeat a further massive rates rise."
The Department of Resources spokesperson said the property market would continue to be monitored and a decision would be made on the 2022 program in the last quarter of 2021.
When undertaking the market surveys, the spokesperson said valuers consider property sales which have transacted since the last annual valuation was made and the predicted movements that this market evidence has had on the value of land.
"In recent times, Queensland has seen significant increases in values for grazing and broad-acre primary production properties despite large areas of the State remaining drought declared," they said.
The spokesperson said low interest rates have been the "big driver" on the agricultural sector with finance available for farm aggregation and business expansion, supported by strong rural commodity prices.
Valuations are issued annually across the state, except in unusual circumstances or where it is determined there has been insufficient market movement in a local government area to warrant an annual valuation being issued.
Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers' Joe Lyons, who grows macadamias and avocados on his family farm, said: "in one rates round alone council ripped millions from local farming operations already struggling against water security issues, COVID-19 and labour shortages, and this is going to compound year on year".
According to the Bundaberg Regional Council, the agricultural category's contribution to the general rate increased from 9 per cent to 12 per cent.
Throughout the rates debate, the council has maintained that it adopted a fair budget.
The council's operational services portfolio spokesperson Cr Steve Cooper recently stated "it would have been totally unfair to spread the impact of those valuation increases to residential ratepayers, mums and dads, pensioners and small business operators".
Cr Cooper said the agricultural peak bodies would have better served farmers by encouraging them to object to their land valuations.
A Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy spokesperson previously told the NewsMail a total of 68 objections were received from 1800 rural land valuations issued in 2020 for the Bundaberg Regional Council area - 34 of which were upheld and reduced land valuations were reissued.
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