Lockyer Valley Regional Council has moved to reassure landowners that any rate rise will not mirror the large jumps in land valuations recently issued by the Queensland Valuer-General.
Yesterday, Queensland Valuer-General Laura Dietrich issued new land valuation notices to 15 local government areas (LGAs), including the Lockyer Valley.
Deputy Mayor and Finance Portfolio Councillor Chris Wilson said contrary to popular belief, a large spike in land value does not mean a large hike in rates.
“I understand some of our ratepayers are worried about their new land valuations and what this means for their rates,” he said.
“Like many areas in South East Queensland, land values in the Lockyer Valley have increased significantly, however, if your land valuation has increased by say 50 per cent, that does not mean your rates will also jump by 50 per cent.
“Council’s average rate increase for the past four years is 3.7 per cent, compared to the average CPI of 4.5 per cent, demonstrating our commitment to keeping rates as low as possible.
“As a Council, we aim to keep any rises to the bare minimum required to continue to deliver the important services we are responsible for, and we have no plans for that to change.”
Undertaken on 1 October 2025, the new land valuations reflect property market changes since the LGAs were last valued and take effect on 30 June 2026 for local government rating, state land tax and state land rental purposes.
Land in the Lockyer Valley was last valued in October 2022. The Queensland Valuer-General is responsible for determining the value of rateable land and councils play no part in the valuation process.
Cr Wilson said land values were just one of the factors Council used to determine rates.
“We are hyper aware of the financial pressures households are currently under and wanted to ease any concerns people may have about their rates leaping by the same percentage as their land valuations,” he said.
“This will simply not be the case.
“We also use a rating model that averages out and reduces the impact of substantial valuation fluctuations, so any rises are reasonable and manageable.”
The 2026 Land Valuation Program included more than half a million properties across 15 LGAs, including Burdekin, Douglas, Etheridge, Gladstone, Gold Coast, Hinchinbrook, Ipswich, Mareeba, Noosa, North Burnett, Redland, Sunshine Coast, Tablelands, Western Downs and Lockyer Valley.
Landowners wanting more information on their new land valuation should contact 1300 664 217 before 11 May 2026 or visit www.qld.gov.au/landvaluation
