2012 Valuer-General's Snapshot Report for QLD

Click to View the Report

The Queensland State Department of Environment and Resource Management has published its 2012 land valuation report including commentary on key findings. A full copy of the 'Snapshot of the 2012 Valuation' can be found at the departments website HERE.

If anything the Cairns region has faired well in contrast to surrounding regions and proves that local markets continue to "bounce along the bottom of the overall market cycle". A summary of the Cairns region valuation statistics within the Snapshot report follows:

"The weak economy in the Cairns local government area continues to affect the property market. The key industries of tourism and construction are negatively impacted by the strong Australian dollar, a decline in employment, low levels of building activity and 

the severe weather conditions in 2011.

The residential and rural homesite market within the area has experienced historically low levels of sales activity.

Despite this, residential land values overall have 

reduced by just one per cent.

The exception to this trend is higher valued beachfront properties in the area extending from Port Douglas south to the Northern Beaches of Cairns and through to Brampton Beach where reductions in land values of 10 to 15 per cent have been common. Land values in the Gordonvale locality have also been reduced due to the high number of distressed vendor sales influencing the market. Residential land values within Port Douglas have generally stabilised following the declines of previous years.

Distressed sales are also prevalent in the commercial and multi-unit market sectors. The industrial market has softened, driven by decreasing financial returns. Land values in all three sectors have been reduced within the Cairns region."

Peter Musso licensed real estate agent at Ray White Cairns Beaches selling property in Cairns' beautiful northern beach suburbs including Trinity Beach, Kewarra Beach, Clifton Beach, Palm Cove, Trinity Park, Smithfield, Yorkeys Knob, Holloways Beach, Machans Beach, Caravonica and surrounds.

Taylor Point in Trinity Beach to Remain Pristine

A 25-year battle concerning Cairns' last remaining substantial coastal land site, Taylor Point in Trinity Beach, has concluded this week with the Planning and Environment Court ruling against the landowner to subdivide and develop the 18.8ha prominent headland.

The ongoing application for the development of Taylor Point has stirred fierce political and legal debate with great community support in favour of conservation for the site. Michael Moore's Cairnsblog.net provides an extensive account for the history of the site which can be viewed HERE.

Taylor Point not to be developed, court rules
The Cairns Post - March 31st 2012

TAYLOR Point will remain untouched by development after the council and local conservationists won their battle to protect Cairns' last pristine headland.

The Planning and Environment Court yesterday ruled against the respected landowner and developer Robert Prettejohn, who proposed to subdivide the 18.8ha outcrop and build 30 houses on the land.

Conservationists say the court’s decision warns developers that Cairns’ unspoilt hillslopes are off limits, but Mr Prettejohn says the ruling sets a damaging precedent for landowners.

Mayor Val Schier insists Cairns Regional Council should seize on the court’s decision and buy the land for conservation, with help from the State and Federal governments.

"We’ve finished with that 1970s and 1980s development at any cost, not giving a damn about the visual amenity, and the population is saying they want different sorts of development," Cr Schier said outside the court.

"People have said that they wanted this hillslope back for the people of Cairns."

Her council ruled against Mr Prettejohn’s development application in July 2010, despite council officers recommending his plans be approved.

Mr Prettejohn insisted his project would have had a minimal environmental impact and would not spoil the visual amenity of the northern beaches.

"People look at this as conservationists versus developer, but I’m a conservationist myself… and I thought I was doing exactly the right thing around Taylor Point," said Mr Prettejohn, who also developed the celebrated Thala Beach Lodge and Kewarra Beach Resort.

But Judge Bill Harrison dismissed Mr Prettejohn’s appeal after hearing three weeks of evidence, saying the residential development was out of line with "the very clear" town planning guidelines in Cairns.

Those guidelines were changed last year and Taylor Point was zoned mostly as conservation land, meaning only one house could be built on the site.

Mr Prettejohn said he would now consider his options for Taylor Point, including another application to develop the land, or taking the matter to the Court of Appeal.

Peter Musso licensed real estate agent at Ray White Cairns Beaches selling property in Cairns' beautiful northern beach suburbs including Trinity Beach, Kewarra Beach, Clifton Beach, Palm Cove, Trinity Park, Smithfield, Yorkeys Knob, Holloways Beach, Machans Beach, Caravonica and surrounds.