The Queensland parliament approved a bill seeking changes in the way land tax is calculated.

The new piece of legislation puts value on the land as it is at present as opposed to what it looked like when it was acquired. Rural land is exempted from the measure.

Assessments will take into consideration improvements like drainage and levelling aside from just the unimproved value.

The Opposition went up against the changes and have labeled these as a cash grab. Opposition spokesman Bruce Flegg said, “ Make no mistake, Mr Deputy Speaker, this bill is all about pushing up urban land values - this is the greatest land tax grab in Queensland history.”

Opposition spokesman Jeff Seeney demanded for the a quarantee “that this will not result in extra land tax dollars in the Queensland Government's coffers.”

The State Government said the consultations with the community and industry has not only introduced the new measure. According to Natural Resources Minister Stephen Robertson told Parliament, “It's important to point out if a valuation has changed as a result of site value, it should not mean the council rates charged will change.”

Robertson explained that “Local governments do not directly translate increased valuations into increased revenue and that the changes are “not a revenue raising measure - the changes will result in little, if any, difference to most properties.”