HortNews
	Farmers Fear Breakdown Of Rates Valuation System

WELLINGTON 6/12/1999 - Official systems of revaluing properties are breaking down if a lot of people have to appeal their valuations, Federated Farmers says.

An overall 10 percent devaluation of the Tararua district after the latest valuation survey sparked a huge outcry from property owners and farmers.

The valuation was conducted by Beca Valuations, of Auckland, under contract to Tararua District Council.

It was announced yesterday that another region had been devalued. Tasman district, at the top of the South Island, suffered losses after a revaluation by Quotable NZ.

All of the primary industries suffered along with commercial properties.

But residential, lifestyle and industrial properties rose in value.

Dairy properties declined by up to 25 percent in capital value, pastoral properties 15 percent, horticulture 9.1 percent and forestry and mining 5 percent.

The area includes Richmond, Motueka, Takaka and other farming areas around Nelson.

Other areas where ratepayers are concerned about devaluation of their properties include Wanganui and Ruapehu.

Federation vice-president Tom Lambie said in the Tararua case there was concern the valuation had been done remotely by an Auckland-based firm, while the former Valuation NZ had offices everywhere which kept very much in touch with what was happening locally and carried out property inspections.

"Those inspections used to be one of the big things prior to a valuation coming out.

"Properties were visited by government valuers before the changes were made to allow other valuers, other than Valuation NZ, to tender for the valuation work." Mr Lambie said there appeared to be a greater requirement on the part of local councils to be aware of what was happening on properties, either by inspections or some other system.

He said it was the knowledge of what had happened that helped to build up the total picture of valuation during a period of time.

Valuations from the councils' point of view were only for rating purposes, but they had more importance than that, especially when it came to selling property.

"The values have got to be right and have credibility and there has got to be excellent information-gathering from the companies who are involved in the valuation process, whether by property inspections or some other means, but the information has to be good to arrive at a figure," he said.

Tararua District Council chief executive Roger Twentyman said there were processes in place to ensure information on work done on properties was available to valuers, who often visited properties in the district to take account of the information.

"Their base might be in Auckland, but they are down here often and I have no difficulty about where they are from, so long as they come and do the work that is necessary in the district, and I am satisfied they do."

Valuers still visited properties on occasion.