As local reactions to the latest round of rates notices settles, maps showing changes to Inverell land values made by the NSW Valuer General, shed light on why some residents reacted with distress while others with delight.
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Valuer General (VG) maps obtained by the Inverell Times show a variety of changed land valuations across the district ranging from decreases of 51 to 99 percent to increases of 51 to 99 percent around the town area alone. Additional fluctuations occur in the rural areas across the Inverell Shire Council area.
VG valuations apply to unimproved land values only, so the addition of an expensive house, pool or other improvement to a block of land is not part of the calculation.
While the maps do not show the exact property boundaries dividing valuations, they do suggest that the VG increased the value of blocks between Bannockburn Road and Brae Street to within the highest band level of 51 to 99 percent.
By contrast, nearby landowners on Warialda and Yetman Roads remained unchanged as did those on the eastern side of the river.
Meanwhile blocks of land just out of town on the road to Ashford appear to have decreased in value by the lowest bandwidth of 51 to 99 percent.
VG figures are revised every three years with the latest round emerging from the 2013 to 2016 period. These amounts were first used to help calculate the most recent round of rates notices sent out by local government authorities across the state - hence the wider variations in local charges that went well beyond the expected impact of Inverell Shire Council’s own planned rate increase.
Although local councils do influence rate amounts and are responsible for their collection, they have no control over the actual base land valuations provided by the VG.