Under Section 23 of the Pastoral Land Management and Conservation Act 1989 (SA) (PLMC Act) the rent payable to the Crown under a pastoral lease is determined by the Valuer-General in accordance with the requirements of the PLMC Act.

This process requires the Valuer-General to determine an unimproved value of the land then fix the annual rent for the lease as a percentage of this value.  This percentage represents the Valuer-General's opinion as to the appropriate rate of return for the land, having regard to the predominant land use. The Valuer-General has now completed this task and The Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) is in the process of issuing updated rental notices.

A lessee who is dissatisfied with a determination by the Valuer‑General of the annual rent for the lessee's pastoral lease may, within three months (90 days) of receiving this rent notice, apply to the:

• Valuer‑General for a review of the determination; or
• South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (SACAT) for a review of the determination.

There is also an opportunity for the lessee to make a written request for the Valuer-General to confer with them and look to resolve any matters informally, whether or not they have lodged an application for review.

Lessees or any other stakeholders should review the information sheet prior to lodging any submission.