Valuation assumptions and considerations

Concessions and allowances apply to some land 

Under the Valuation of Land Act 1916 (the Act), the land value you are liable to pay rates or tax on may be reduced due to:

  • allowances, such as for profitable expenditure and subdivision
  • concessions for restrictions, including statutory restrictions, mixed development apportionment factors and mixed use apportionment factors.

These apply to your land only. They do not relate to any concessions or allowances based on your personal circumstances, such as a pensioner concession.

If a concession or allowance applies to your land, this should be noted on your Notice of Valuation or land tax assessment.

You can lodge an objection if you believe that you are entitled to a concession or allowance, or that the amount applied to your land is wrong. You must tell us:

  • the type of concession or allowance you are objecting to
  • the current concession or allowance amount on your Notice or assessment
  • the amount you think it should be.
For a profitable expenditure allowance, you must also give details of the nature, date and cost of any works.

Also see our policies:

Heritage restricted land is valued under two different acts 

We value land affected by heritage restrictions under two different acts: 

  • Section 14G of the Valuation of Land Act 1916 governs the land value of properties that are heritage restricted by a planning instrument like a local or regional environmental plan. The land value takes this heritage restriction into account. 
  • Sections 124–125 of the Heritage Act 1977 govern how we value properties listed on the State Heritage Register, which is part of the State Heritage Inventory that the Office of Environment and Heritage manages. The value is called a heritage value, and takes into account the heritage listing’s impact. If your property is on the register, you are entitled to a heritage concession.

If your property is heritage restricted, this should be noted on your Notice of Valuation or land tax assessment. If it is not but you believe it should be, you can apply for a determination of the land value for heritage restricted land

Also see the Valuer General’s Valuation of heritage restricted land policy.

The valuation method is tailored for different types of land

The mass valuation method takes into account the type of land being valued. We set out some factors that apply to specific types of land below.

Rural land
For rural land, valuers consider:
  • access and location
  • highest permitted use
  • soil type
  • topography
  • value as a lifestyle block
  • classification, productivity and size.

Valuers classify rural land based on general use, including cropping, grazing and horticulture. A property can have multiple land classes, and valuers will generally determine a rate for each.

Also see the Valuer General’s Valuation of rural land policy and our Rural land values fact sheet.

Land with water rights

Since 2005, valuers consider the right to use the land for irrigation, but do not include the value of any water included in those rights. 

For more information, see our Valuation of rural land policy.

Strata sites

For strata sites, the Valuer General determines the land value for the whole site of the strata scheme. The value is based on the most valuable use of the whole site, which may exceed its current development. 

Each unit’s land value is a portion of the strata scheme’s land value, based on the unit entitlement in the strata plan. Councils and Revenue NSW use the land value of each unit to determine rates and taxes.

The Valuer General does not value individual units or allocate unit entitlements. If you have questions or concerns about unit entitlement, please call NSW Fair Trading on 13 32 20 or visit www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au. Also see:


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