Following the natural disasters in Queensland this year, the State Government has announced that land valuations have been issued and the pool registration deadline has been extended. This follows steps taken earlier in the year to recognise the disruption caused by the natural disasters. Here, Partner Tony Baldwin and Associate Janelle Metcalf discuss how these announcements impact Queensland property owners.

What you need to know

  • Land valuations were issued on 3 May 2011. Owners who disagree with their valuation may:
    • lodge an objection, which must include supporting evidence, within 60 days of the issue date of the valuation notice. Based on valuations issued on 3 May 2011, the objection period ends on 4 July 2011; and/or
    • request an amended valuation if the land has been permanently damaged as a result of flood, cyclone or other adverse natural cause (over which the owner has no control), within six months from the date the permanent damage occurred.
  • The previous deadline of 4 May 2011 to record details of all existing pools in the State Government's pool register has been extended to 4 November 2011 to allow owners to concentrate on disaster recovery.

Land valuations

The Valuer-General issued valuations to 1.6 million landowners on 3 May. The 2011 annual valuations were delayed as valuations conducted late last year may no longer have been accurate following damage caused by the recent natural disasters. The additional time was to allow for revaluations where necessary. Please click here for details. Should land owners not agree with the valuation, there are two options available to them:

  • Lodge an objection together with supporting evidence within 60 days of the issue date of the valuation notice. Based on valuations issued on 3 May 2011, the objection period ends on 4 July 2011.
  • Request an amended valuation where the land has been permanently damaged as a result of flood, cyclone or other adverse natural cause (over which the owner has no control). This application must be made within six months from the date the permanent damage occurred. Based on valuations issued on 3 May 2011, there may be only a small window of opportunity for owners to prepare their submission (based on damage incurred in January 2011).

As the land valuation issued by the Valuer-General is used by Councils to calculate rates, and the State Government to calculate land tax, owners should pay careful attention to the valuations received. Owners should be aware of the strict timeframes which apply both for lodging an objection, and requesting an amended valuation.

Pool registration deadline extended

Following recent changes to pool safety requirements, the State Government established a searchable pool register to record all regulated pools in Queensland, and to provide details of any pool safety certificate issued. Although local governments have been updating this register with information available to them, this information may be inaccurate or incomplete, so owners are encouraged to record pool details for their property. Anyone may search and update the register online. Pool owners should ensure that their property information is correctly recorded on or before 4 November 2011, or they may face fines of up to $2,000.

For more information about land valuations or pool registration requirements, please contact HopgoodGanim's Commercial Property team.

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The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.