Widespread flooding in first half of 2022 sees latest land valuations expected to fall in worst hit areas of the Northern Rivers region

Due to Northern Rivers flooding in February-March and June 2022, property owners in flood affected locations in Lismore City local government area such as North, South and central Lismore experienced decreases in demand for their lots. As did property owners in flood affected Ocean Shores and Golden Beach in Byron Shire. 

"Lismore saw a 23.9% decrease [in commercial land demand] after the 2022 floods significantly impacted the area, with the entire CBD being inundated....Lismore [industrial land] decreased slightly (5.2%) as a two-tier market emerged with premiums being paid for flood free industrial land.....Strong demand continued in Lismore (23.7%) for productive farmlands to the northwest which were not as severely affected by the 2022 floods."

Valuer General of New South Wales, Valuation NSW, Media Release, 19 January 2023:

New land values published for the North Coast region

The NSW Valuer General has published land values for the North Coast region. The land values reflect the value of land only, as at 1 July 2022.

Land value is the value of the land only. It does not include the value of a home or other structure. Property sales are the most important factor valuers consider when determining land values. [my yellow highlighting]

The new land values will be used by Revenue NSW to calculate land tax for the 2023 land tax year. Registered land tax clients will receive their land tax assessment from Revenue NSW from January 2023. More information on land tax can be found at revenue.nsw.gov.au.

Councils receive new land values for rating at least every three years. Land values are one factor used by councils to calculate rates. All councils have been issued with the 1 July 2022 land values.

Landholders will receive a Notice of Valuation showing their land value before it is used by council for rating. Notices will be issued from January 2023. This gives landholders time to consider their land value.

The latest land values for all properties in NSW are available on the Valuer General NSW website, along with information on trends, medians and typical land values for each local government area.

Please visit www.valuergeneral.nsw.gov.au for more information on land values and the NSW valuation system.

North Coast Region local government areas

Ballina, Bellingen, Byron, Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour, Kempsey, Kyogle, Lismore, MidCoast, Nambucca, Port Macquarie-Hastings, Richmond Valley and Tweed.

General overview

The total land value for the North Coast NSW region increased by 35.9% between 1 July 2021 and 1 July 2022 from $116 billion to $158 billion.

Residential land values increased 36.8% overall. Demand for rural villages, hinterland and beachside locations continue as sea and tree changers relocate to work remotely. This trend was particularly evident in Coffs Harbour (46.7%), Port Macquarie (38%) and Clarence Valley (46.5%). Lismore (31.5%) saw increased demand in flood free areas including Goonellabah, Lismore Heights and Richmond Hill while flood affected locations such as North, South and central Lismore experienced decreases. Byron (18.2%) varied as decreases in flood affected Ocean Shores and Golden Beach offset increases at Brunswick Heads, Suffolk Park and elevated Pacific Vista Drive, Byron Bay.

Commercial land values increased 24.1% overall. Relative affordability contributed to Bellingen (56.7%) and Clarence Valley (40%) experiencing the strongest increases. In Ballina (14.9%), the flood impacted CBD experienced moderate to slight increases while Lennox Head and Wollongbar increased strongly due to tight supply. Byron (25.2%) increases highlight continued strength in the Byron tourism sector and investor demand. Lismore saw a 23.9% decrease after the 2022 floods significantly impacted the area, with the entire CBD being inundated.

Industrial land values increased by 29.6% overall. Clarence Valley (122.5%) saw heightened demand for a limited supply of affordable fringe industrial land around Grafton and Yamba. Similar supply issues led very strong increases in Kempsey (56.4%), especially South Kempsey precinct, and drove values in affordable fringe locations of Woolgoolga and Macksville which contributed to very strong increases in Coffs Harbour (41.5%) and Nambucca (37.7%). Lismore decreased slightly (5.2%) as a two-tier market emerged with premiums being paid for flood free industrial land.

Rural land values increased 37.4%. Strong commodity prices drove demand for quality agricultural land with reliable water and resulted in increases regionwide, with Port Macquarie-Hastings (54.5%) leading the trend. Relative affordability drove demand in several local government areas including Nambucca (51.4%) and Kempsey (40.3%). Across Byron (26.1%), values remained steady in flood impacted localities including Main Arm and Mullumbimby while purchasers underpinned strong demand for rural homes and hobby farms in areas like Myocum and Bangalow. Strong demand continued in Lismore (23.7%) for productive farmlands to the northwest which were not as severely affected by the 2022 floods.

~~~Ends~~~ 

Tweet of the Week

The days of being swamped with politicians talking about COVID already seem like a long time ago. But the virus continues to run rampant, making a lot of Australians sick and killing many, even if we don't seem to be talking about it publicly as much. #abc730 pic.twitter.com/f2hyVb9QXt

— abc730 (@abc730) January 23, 2023

Cartoons of the Week

 

Jon Kudelka

Peter Broelman

Less than 10 weeks out from a NSW state election and Perrottet & Co. don't seem to be winning over hearts and minds yet

 

The Poll Bludger, 22 January 2023:

Today’s Sunday Telegraph has a YouGov poll suggesting Labor is headed for a comfortable win at the New South Wales state election on March 25, leading the Coalition 56-44 on two-party preferred and 39% to 33% on the primary vote, with the Greens on 11% and others on 17%.

The poll also encompasses questions on the Dominic Perrotet Nazi costume scandal (67% say it won’t affect their vote, 20% say it will make them less likely to vote Coalition, and 8% demonstrate the problems with this sort of question by saying it makes them more likely to vote Coalition), cashless gaming cards (61% are in favour with 19% opposed), better party to deal with the cost of living (30% Labor, 25% Liberal, 26% neither) and issue salience (39% cost of living, 17% economy, 14% health, 10% each for housing affordability and environment). The poll was conducted January 14 to 17 from a sample of 1069.

Newcastle Herald, 23 January 2023, excerpt p.2:

The NSW government is on track to lose the March state election as Premier Dominic Perrottet's popularity wanes.

A YouGov poll shows the Coalition well behind in both first preference and two-party preferred standings.

Labor led the Coalition by 56 per cent to 44 per cent on a two-party preferred basis, while it was ahead by 39-33 per cent on first preferences…..

Both figures point to a parliamentary majority for Labor, which was buoyed in the poll by strong backing from young voters.

Support for Mr Perrottet also dropped, with only 44 per cent of those surveyed preferring him over Labor leader Chris Minns. But Mr Minns says he isn't paying attention to the latest poll as many voters remain undecided.

EveningReport.nz, 23 January 2023, excerpt:

On other topics, the poll found a majority of voters supported cashless gaming cards (61% in favour, 19% opposed). On the party best to deal with the cost of living, 30% selected Labor, 25% the Liberals, and 26% neither. Cost of living was rated the most important issue by 39%, far ahead of the 17% who rated the economy most important.

This YouGov poll found 46% of NSW voters supported a federal Indigenous Voice to Parliament, while 30% did not.

If these recent polls are accurate, the Coalition is likely to be defeated in March after three terms and 12 years in government. If this happens, Labor would govern federally and in all states and territories except Tasmania.

 

The Day Before.....

Tomorrow is Thursday, 26th January 2023. As a mark of respect for First Nations communities across Australia North Coast Voices will not be posting that day.

17 Jan 17 2023

First Nations dance theatre Marrugeku have collaborated with Noongar rapper Beni Bjah on an Australian take on Childish Gambino’s provocative 2018 hit This Is America.

This Is Australia is a blistering tirade against First Nations incarceration, deaths in custody and Australia's treatment of asylum seekers. Filmed on the lands of the Bunuba people in Fitzroy Crossing in the Kimberley, and directed by Marrugeku's artistic directors Dalisa Pigram and Rachael Swain, the video features Marrugeku performers and locals, and is packed with references to Australian history and recent events….

 

Albanese Government's Fraud Fusion Taskforce & the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission at work in 2023

 

“The banning orders against these entities send a strong message to any provider trying to take advantage of the NDIS and Australian taxpayers.

For too long, rogue providers have been able to make use of a lack of communication and coordination between government agencies. Australians relying on the NDIS are some of our most vulnerable, and any organisation taking advantage of their safety net must be stopped.” [Minister for the NDIS and Government Services Bill Shorten, media release, 22 January 2023]

NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, NDIS Provider Register – Part 2 – Section 73zs National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013, last updated 21 January 2023, excerpt:

Banning Orders

The effect of a banning order is that the individual or organisation that is the subject of the order is prohibited from providing NDIS supports and services, or their provision of NDIS supports or services is restricted. For example, a banning order may be made against an individual on the ground that he or she is believed not to be suitable to provide supports or services to people with disability. The basis for that belief might be the fact that the individual has been charged with a criminal offence. In such a case, the NDIS Commission needs to ensure that the making of the order would not prejudice, in any way, criminal proceedings relating to the charge and that it would not be inconsistent with the presumption of the individual’s innocence. Consequently, the order would initially be for a period long enough for the proceedings to be concluded. At the conclusion of the proceedings, the length of the banning order would be revisited, having regard to the outcome of the proceedings and other relevant factors. The result could range from making the order permanent to revoking it.

The following corporations and individuals have been named in the aforementioned document between 4 January and 18 January 2023:

Rafael Ukken, Harris Park NSW – prohibited from providing disability supports and services, directly or indirectly, to NDIS-funded participants in the National Disability Insurance Scheme, for a period of two (2) years, effective from 5:00 pm on 24 January 2023.

Millennium Disability Care Pty Ltd, Williams Landing Vic – permanently prohibited from providing NDIS supports and services to people with disability, effective from 5:00 pm on 13 January 2022.

A.C.N. 615 641 079 Pty Ltd trading as Australian Home and Community Care; SIL Finder, Kurunjang Vic – permanently prohibited from providing NDIS supports and services to people with disability, effective from 5:00 pm on 19 January 2022.

Sarah Michael Leen Manyok Thiak, Kurunjang Vic – prohibited from being involved in the provision of NDIS supports and services to people with disability for a period of five (5) years, effective from 5.00 pm on 19 January 2023.

David Anyoun Manyok Thiak, Williams Landing, Vic – prohibited from being involved in the provision of NDIS supports and services to people with disability for a period of 10 years, effective from 5.00 pm on 19 January 2023.

Ambrose Mareng, Melton, Vic – prohibited from being involved in the provision of NDIS supports and services to people with disability for a period of five (5) years, effective from 5.00 pm on 19 January 2023.

Aman Manyok Thiak, Melton West, Vic – prohibited from being involved in the provision of NDIS supports and services to people with disability for a period of five (5) years, effective from 5.00 pm on 19 January 2023.

Deng Manyok Thiak, Braybrook, Vic – prohibited from being involved in the provision of NDIS supports and services to people with disability for a period of five (5) years, effective from 5.00 pm on 19 January 2023.

Ramesh Saini, North West Rocks, NSW – prohibited from being involved in the provision of supports or services to people with disability, for a period of two (2) years, effective from 5:00pm on 11 January 2023.

Further details can be found at:

https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-01/Provider%20Register%20Part%202%20-%2021%20January%202023.pdf

This file covers the period March 2019 to January 2023 and lists NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission bans currently in force [pp. 2-32], bans no longer in force [pp. 33-36], compliance notices currently in force [pp. 37-41], notices complied with/completed [pp. 42-51], suspension of registrations no longer in force [pp. 53-61], revocations of registration of registered NDIS providers [pp. 62-70], infringement notices [pp. 71-73] and refusals to re-register previously registered NDIS providers [pp. 74-77].