TASMANIAN councils could be losing out on additional rates revenue from undervalued properties, a Westwood farmer said yesterday.
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Hydaway farm owner Edward Murfett said he suspected his own September 2013 land valuations were not accurate and requested re-evaluation of his property.
‘‘An irrigation dam at a cost of $150,000, a pivot irrigator, $150,000, infill structure $20,000, land development, $40,000, irrigation land area 93 acres, plus a shearing shed and implement shed,’’ Mr Murfett said.
‘‘Those are the alterations I’d made, those would have altered the value.’’
The re-evaluation saw $250,000 added to the value of Mr Murfett’s land, and a further $600 fee to his annual rates.
He said although his land was now in-line, he believed many other properties had been assessed similarly, causing councils, or their rate payers, to lose out.
‘‘Mine’s done properly, so it’s done on the present-day value — the day they did it,’’ Mr Murfett said.
‘‘All these others probably haven’t been done properly, they have irrigators, waters and everything else, therefore I’d be paying rates above anyone else.
‘‘If they had done everyone properly, Meander Valley Council might have an extra rural rate value of another $20 million.’’
He said a letter regarding the issue had been sent to all Tasmanian councils.