Objection Review Process - Valuation of Land
Property owners have the right to object to the valuation of their property under the Valuation of Land Act 1960.
You must lodge any objection within two months.
If you have an objection to your valuation, you can pick up a form from the Council’s Customer Service Centre. We then refer your objection to the Valuer-General Victoria to review.
Valid grounds for lodging a valuation objection are:
- The value assigned is too high or too low
- The interests held by various persons in the land have not been correctly apportioned
- The apportionment of the valuation is not correct
- The lands that should be included in one valuation have been valued separately
- Lands that should be valued separately have been included in one valuation
- The person named in the notice of valuation, assessment notice or other document is not liable to be so named
- The area, dimensions or description of the land including the Australian Valuation Property Classification Code (ACPCC) are not correctly stated in the notice of valuation, assessment notice or other document
Before lodging an objection, property owners are encouraged to discuss their concerns with an officer of the Council, who can provide advice and information about the formal review process.
The Process
The office of the Valuer-General Victoria allocates a Valuer, who has four months to complete their review and provide you with the opportunity to discuss your objection. We are committed to helping to resolve objections in a timely and cooperative manner. Meetings are arranged at our Council offices or via a telephone meeting. On-site inspections may be necessary to ensure specific issues are reviewed and resolved.
Once the Valuer has made their decision, they will issue either a ‘Notice of Recommendation’ to alter the valuation or a ‘Notice of Disallowance’. The notice will be issued to the property owner, the Council and the office of the Valuer-General Victoria. The office of the Valuer-General Victoria reviews the Valuer’s decision and either confirm or rejects the decision within a further period of two months.
Please note that rates assessed must still be paid by the relevant instalment due dates whilst this review process is being completed. Penalty interest applied to overdue amounts.
How to lodge a valuation objection
If you believe that the valuation does not reflect market value of your property at 1 January of the relevant year, you may lodge an objection.
For more information about lodging an objection, please visit the Victorian Government's Council rating valuations website.
1. Prepare your documentation
Prior to lodging an objection, you will need to have a current annual valuation and rates notice.
Your objection must be submitted within two months of the issue date of the annual valuation and rates notice.
2. Lodge an objection
To make an objection submit your objection online. Please contact us if you require a hardcopy form.
3. Continue to pay your instalment
You are still required to pay the rate instalment/s by the due date/s, even if you have lodged a formal valuation objection.
If payment is not made by the due date/s, you may incur penalty interest charges.
4. Amendments to the rate amount
If there is an adjustment to the valuation, there will be an amendment to the rate amount. Accounts in credit can apply to receive a refund.
Valuation Appeal Process
If the objection review process leaves you dissatisfied, or if:
- four months has passed since lodgment of the objection and the Valuer has not acted,
- two months has passed since a recommendation for adjustment has been referred to the Valuer General and the Valuer General has not acted,
you can refer this matter to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) or treat this matter as an appeal to be heard in the Supreme Court.