Find out why prices are 'unfair' for recovering businesses
Queensland has recently released new land valuations for the state’s business properties, including those still recovering from natural disasters.
An outcry from employers was immediately heard as groups claimed the price points as “unfair” and “not reflective of the economic environment in Queensland.”
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland (CCIQ) and different chambers across the state are now requesting “a land valuation precedent” set from previous natural disasters. The groups are also calling for a period of assessment for the floods’ financial, physical and emotional impact to be adequately assessed.
According to CCIQ’s media release, the input costs of businesses “were already stretching many to their limit,” its policy and advocacy general manager Amanda Rohan said, adding that “to risk a potential increase” to more business bills is “just not an option.”
Potentially higher taxes and costs
The group fears that the new land valuations would add more burden on employers, and Rohan said that now is “not the time to be hitting businesses with potentially higher taxes and costs.”
“Businesses impacted during the recent natural disaster are still recovering. We know from the 2011 floods it took more than a month for impacted businesses to return to normal,” she said.
“Any increase in bills, taxes and other costs while businesses are still recovering is unfair and also not reflective of the current business and economic environment in Queensland,” Rihan added.
The state’s new land valuations cover 30 areas, including Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan and Gympie, regions declared as disaster areas.
After the 2011 floods, businesses were afforded “some reprieve” to increases in land taxes, and “the same needs to happen now,” Rohan said.
