Formal Opposition to

Summary of Position

I submit this formal opposition to the Valuers Bill (Government Bill 148–1), with particular objection to the contents and implications of Amendment Paper 286. While the bill claims to modernise the Valuers Act 1948, Amendment 286 restructures the profession in ways that risk its independence, integrity, and public value.

This is not simplification — it is silent control. A restructuring without mandate, hiding under technical language.

1. Centralises Control Over a Gatekeeping Profession

• Board powers are expanded to enable central disciplinary control,
• Minimum age requirements are removed, weakening entry standards,
• Penalty levels are raised, applying pressure to conform to political or commercial agendas.

These changes signal a quiet reset — away from public accountability and professional resistance.

2. Authorises Disciplinary Overreach Without Oversight

The Valuers Registration Board gains unchecked power to discipline professionals:

• No independent appeal or review body,
• No transparency or public reporting,
• No safeguards against politically motivated targeting.

This is power without balance — dangerous in any profession, especially one tied to land, assets, and Treaty matters.

3. Weakens Professional Entry in the Name of Inclusion

Removing the minimum age requirement erodes a key professional safeguard. Valuation involves judgment, maturity, and contextual understanding — not just technical training.

Lowering thresholds may allow faster throughput, but at the cost of credibility, competence, and ethical resilience — particularly in high-stakes valuations like Treaty settlements or public infrastructure.

4. Raises Structural Concerns — Why Now, Why Here?

The Valuers Act 1948 has functioned for decades with no systemic failure. Embedding such sweeping reforms in a revision bill raises questions:

• Why introduce structural change via an amendment paper?
• Why avoid full public consultation or a standalone review process?
• What pressures or agendas are driving this quiet transformation?

5. Mirrors a Pattern of Legislative Erosion

This bill is not alone. It follows a broader pattern now evident across government legislation:

• Framing radical changes as “technical updates,”
• Suppressing public debate through strategic amendment insertion,
• Weakening Treaty safeguards and institutional independence.

Profession by profession, safeguard by safeguard — public trust is being dismantled.

Conclusion and Recommendations

The Valuers Bill, particularly Amendment Paper 286, must be rejected. Its reforms are neither necessary nor appropriately managed. They undermine professional integrity in ways that will echo across land ownership, public sector valuation, and Treaty processes.

• Reject Amendment 286 in full,
• Retain or replace the age threshold with experience-based criteria,
• Ensure independent review mechanisms for any new disciplinary powers,
• Require full public review before restructuring core professional systems.

Valuers must remain independent — not become tools of state or market influence.

Respectfully submitted,

Ukes Baha

Public Health Advocate | Counsellor | Policy Analyst

ukesbaha.com