Review of pastoral rent process

The WA State Government is reviewing the way rents are assessed for Western Australian pastoral leases.

Regional Development and Lands Minister Brendon Grylls said his department would co-ordinate the review and report to him early next year.

“I have asked the department to look at various options with a range of stakeholders including the Valuer General and the Pastoralists and Graziers Association (PGA),” Mr Grylls said.

“I want the review completed and any changes in place well before the next rent review is due.”

The Minister said that under the current system for setting pastoral rents, the Valuer General reviewed unimproved land values every five years.

The latest review had seen big increases in the unimproved land values resulting in big rises in the rents this year.

Mr Grylls said he was keen to continue to work with the PGA and others to make sure a better formula for setting rents was introduced and worked effectively.

“I have had a number of meetings with the PGA and we have agreed that any changes in the way rents are assessed would not be retrospective,” he said.

The Minister believed one of the biggest difficulties with the rent increases was that the method of setting the rents had allowed the increases to be imposed at one time.

“Legislation that went through State Parliament last month is a big step towards overcoming this problem as it will allow pastoral rent increases to be phased in across three years,” he said.

“I have also asked the PGA to advise me on how we can best use the rent payments to benefit the rangelands and pastoral industry as a whole.

“I am keen to see more focus on the issues affecting the profitability and security of pastoral enterprises, including tenure and diversification.”