The Auctioneers and Valuers Association of Australia (AVAA) has provided advice to the Australian Government on opportunities to further enhance the valuation framework supporting the Cultural Gifts Program (CGP), reinforcing the important role that certified valuers play in preserving Australia’s cultural heritage.

Established to support Subdivision 30-A of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (Cth), the Cultural Gifts Program has operated since 1981 and has become one of Australia’s most successful cultural initiatives. It encourages the donation of culturally significant items to public museums, galleries, libraries and archives by providing valuable tax incentives, enriching public collections across metropolitan and regional Australia while ensuring important cultural objects remain accessible for future generations.

Valuers play a vital role in the program as they ascertain the market value of an exceptionally diverse range of specialist asset classes, including fine art, decorative arts, antiques, Indigenous cultural material, historical objects, rare books and manuscripts, coins, banknotes, stamps, militaria, jewellery, collectables and other significant heritage assets. Many of these items are unique, historically important or infrequently traded, requiring specialist market knowledge, recognised valuation methodology and sound professional judgement.

AVAA’s engagement has been with the Office for the Arts, a division of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts, with the focus on highlighting the expertise of professionals holding the respected AVAA Certified Valuer (CVAu) credential and the contribution the AVAA Professional Standards to maintaining confidence in valuation outcomes. AVAA’s commitment is to work collaboratively with the Australian Government by providing practical industry expertise as markets evolve, new collecting categories emerge and contemporary valuation practices continue to develop.

As with all of AVAA’s member driven advocacy, the approach is collaborative, evidence based and focused on supporting the long term success of the Cultural Gifts Program. Rather than seeking to alter the program’s purpose, AVAA members’ objective is to assist the government in ensuring that valuation frameworks continue to reflect recognised professional practice while maintaining the confidence of donors, collecting institutions and the Australian community.

For certified valuers, this work demonstrates the importance of having a national professional association actively engaged in public policy. Much of this advocacy occurs behind the scenes through meetings, submissions and ongoing discussions with government agencies, helping ensure the experience of practising certified valuers is considered whenever legislation, taxation policy or Australian Government programs depend on independent valuation expertise.

An important outcome of this engagement is increasing awareness of the respected AVAA Certified Valuer (CVAu) credential and the AVAA Professional Standards. Together they establish nationally recognised benchmarks for valuation methodology, ethics, report writing, professional competency, continuing professional development and accountability. Greater recognition of these frameworks strengthens confidence in professional valuation practice while reinforcing the value of engaging appropriately qualified certified valuers for specialist cultural asset valuations.

The Cultural Gifts Program receives approximately 500 applications each year and, between 1 July 2020 and 1 April 2025, facilitated more than 1,600 donations with a combined value exceeding $357 million. AVAA’s member driven advocacy seeks to ensure this important Australian Government program continues to benefit from consistent valuation methodology, contemporary professional standards and the expertise of qualified certified valuers, supporting the program’s integrity and helping preserve Australia’s cultural heritage for generations to come.

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Interested In Finding Out More?

If you’re interested in AVAA’s member-driven advocacy on this issue, send an email to government.affairs@avaa.com.au or telephone 1300 928 165.  You can also stay up to date by following AVAA on LinkedIn, X/Twitter and Facebook.
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