A south-east Queensland council has forgone the $4 million rates windfall it stood to gain from "erratic land valuation fluctuations" to minimise the cost to ratepayers.

Key points: Lockyer Valley council will remodel their rates billing procedures after some properties were hit with major valuation increases

Lockyer Valley council will remodel their rates billing procedures after some properties were hit with major valuation increases The Porter's Plainland Hotel has gone up 124 per cent since its last valuation three years ago

The Porter's Plainland Hotel has gone up 124 per cent since its last valuation three years ago State-wide, 3,895 objections were lodged by property owners this year

In her budget speech, Lockyer Valley Mayor Tanya Milligan said individual valuations in the region had varied from a fall of 52 per cent, to an increase of 428 per cent — a major spike for a large residential plot slated for a residential development.

Rates bills will differ from property to property in the Lockyer Valley with council remodelling their billing procedures to minimise the impact on residents.

Queensland Government land valuations have a direct impact on council rates.

"The easy option for us would have been to simply apply our rate model to the new valuations which would have generated an additional $4 million income, but that's not what this council is about," Cr Milligan said.

The average land value increase for the area is 15 per cent, but individual figures vary widely.

Valuation boom for Plainland pub

The land valuation for Porter's Plainland Hotel, on the Warrego Highway west of Brisbane, has gone up 124 per cent since its last valuation three years earlier.

Hotel manager Michael Porter said they were "quite shocked" about the land valuation. ( Supplied: Porter's Plainland Hotel )

Hotel manager Michael Porter said he was "quite shocked" the hotel's land value had gone up by millions of dollars.

"When we initially opened the letter and we seen the big increase, but certainly not surprised either, it's obvious with the amount of development going on in Plainland that it was going to happen sooner or later," Mr Porter said.

The family-run business did not formally object to the valuation and is waiting for its next council rates bill, due in August.

"Haven't seen the bill yet, but obviously when we open that one we'll address that then and see how much they've gone up, hopefully council are kind to us," Mr Porter said.

Lockyer Valley Council finance chair Chris Wilson said the region had not had a valuation for three years.

"If we had these valuations every year, it'd make these impacts a lot less," Cr Wilson said.

"We pay a fee — over $100,000 a year to the State Government — so what we'd like to see from a council point of view, is a valuation each year."

The family-run business has not formally objected to the valuation. ( Facebook: Porter's Plainland Hotel )

Almost 4,000 complaints

Land values are determined by valuers from the State Government Department of Natural Resources Mines and Energy based on recent sales of comparable properties and market trends.

New land valuations for 18 Queensland council areas were released in March 2019, and come into effect on June 30, 2019.

In a statement, Valuer-General Neil Bray said differences in land valuations between neighbouring lands was not uncommon.

"Land valuations are influenced by a number of different factors, including physical attributes such as views, shape, size, noise and elevation, as well as sales and property market trends," Mr Bray said.

Mr Bray said a decision was made not to do valuations in the Lockyer Valley in previous years.

"After considering detailed market analysis and consultation with local governments and industry groups, it was determined that there was insufficient market movement in the Lockyer Valley to warrant issuing new valuations," he said.

State-wide, 3,895 objections were lodged by property owners this year, out of 1.03 million valuations that were issued.

In 2018, there were 1,566 objections out of 507,406 valuations.

The Valuer-General said the 2019 objections were still being processed.

"With objections that are upheld, we will notify both the local government and the Office of State Revenue and where appropriate they can make adjustments to rates and land tax with the landholder," Mr Bray said.

Brisbane rates capped at 7.5 per cent

In Brisbane, average land values have gone up by 7 per cent since the last round of valuations in 2017.

But some suburbs have had larger spikes.

Rocklea has gone up by 31 per cent, Woolloongabba by 26 per cent and Boondall by 23 per cent.

Deputy Mayor Krista Adams said council had capped rates rises.

"We have a three-year program and we cap that at 7.5 per cent, so properties that see a large jump in their average rateable value will probably see a responding jump in their rates, but we cap that to make sure we can fight the peaks and troughs of that for our residents," she said.

Cr Adams said the State Government should do annual valuations.

"Last year we paid $2.5 million for the pleasure of not getting a valuation, but the State Government insisted that we pay it anyway so we feel that if we have to pay, then we should get a valuation," she said.