VALUATION LAW

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 145, 16 December 1933, Page 10

VALUATION LAW

IMPORTANT CHANGES

BILL INTRODUCED

Important amendments to the Valuation of Land Bill are made in an amending Bill introduced into the House of Representatives early this morning. An amendment is made to the definition, of "improvements" in the principal Act. It provides—(a) that work done by the Crown on land owned and occupied by the Crown, and work done by a local authority on land owned and occupied by a local authority comes within the- meaning of the term, "improvements." (b) That reclamation from the sea is not included in the term improvements. The effect of the clause is to confirm the practice which has always been followed and never seriously challenged. Another clause refers to the right which an owner has to obtain a new valuation of his property. That right is retained but the owripr's application must be lodged before January 1 if the new valuation is to take effect for rating purposes in the following rating year. This provision will make it possible to finalise the Tolls within a reasonable time after the commencement of tho rating year. The new valuation will be- used for land tax purposes if the application is received before March 31. This clause also gives local authorities the right to object to any new valuation made on the owner's application, a right which they have not had hitherto. A clause deals with the right which an owner lias to require the Valuer-Gen-eral to reduce the valuation of his property to a stated sum or to acquire the land on behalf of tho Government. That right is retained, but the clause provides that when an owner gives notice to that effect he shall be obliged to sell tb.9 land at the price stated to any person nominated in that behalf by the Valuer-General. Provision is made for safeguarding tho interests of mortgagees. The much-discussed unfairness in the incidence of rating brought about by the exercise of the right to obtain new valuation is dealt with in another clause. Borough councils, county councils, town boards, and road boards will be authorised to levy rates, for their own purposes only, on a proportionate part, being not less than 75 per heat. of the valuations appearing in ! tho valuation roll. It is specially provided, however, that a new valuation made on the owner's application must stand unaltered unless the reduction in valuation already made is less than the reduction made by the local authority, in which case it will bo brought into line. In the actual procedure the valuation rolls will remain unaltered, the adjustments being made by levying rates on a proportionate part of the valuations appearing in the roll instead of on the valuations.