CouncilNow

Councillors take aim at Valuer-General

Ipswich City Council will make an official complaint to the State Government Valuer-General over concerns that annual property valuations will not be issued in 2018.

Valuations determined by the Valuer-General are provided to councils for the purpose of calculating rates.

City Management, Finance and Community Engagement Committee chairman and Deputy Mayor Wayne Wendt said Council had previously informed the Valuer-General of the need to conduct annual valuations owing to rapid population growth.

“Council also highlighted the recent unpopular practise of conducting valuations every two years since 2013.

“This is a failure on behalf of the Valuer-General which causes problems for the Council Budget.

“Importantly, ratepayers are sometimes exposed to large increases in valuations and this forces Council into an overly complicated rates structure, and a method of valuation averaging and rates capping.

“With the city facing continued rapid growth it is a serious issue and creates angst in the community.

“Council pays for annual valuations and we are not getting them.

“This is both surprising and disappointing given that most valuations are conducted from a desktop,” Cr Wendt said.

Cr Paul Tully joined the debate, saying there were often excessive rate rises at the end of a two-year period when annual rate valuations were not done.

“It’s no good if we’re paying for a service we’re not receiving,” he said.

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