Queensland residents draw to the attention of the House that the Valuation Registration Board of Queensland (VRB) is a statutory body set up to administer the Valuers Registration Act 1992 and the Valuers Registration Regulation 2013. Its Mission Statement is: “Committed to fostering professional excellence of registered valuers in Queensland”.

The Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy (DNRME) employs about 220 valuers and the (VRB) is chaired by the Valuer-General of the DNRME.

The VRB Chairman the Valuer-General by his own admission has a conflict of interest when it comes to deliberating complaints against his Valuers. It is important to the fairness of complainants that the VRB has a Chairman without conflict of interest and who does not have to absent themselves from decision making. Adverse findings by the VRB against the Valuer-General’s valuers could negatively impact upon the Valuer-General and the VRB Chairman.

By having the Valuer-General as the VRB Chairman creates a perception of a bias towards the Valuer-General’s Department’s valuers. It creates a perception that the Department’s Valuers are protected, untouchable and that are feared of conflict by non-department independent valuers.

Royal commissions have consistently recommended independent investigations and review processes.

Your petitioners, therefore, request to the House seek to have the VRB Chaired by other than the Valuer-General and independent from the Department DNRME. The change is important and in the public interest as the VRB has been set up by the Queensland Government to protect the public and not the Valuers.