Prosper Australia

17 October 2012 The survey of Victorian local government candidates conducted by Prosper Australia ahead of the 26 October election reveals few candidates understand where and how councils are funded. “We learned only a handful appreciate Site Value Rating is a superior rate base to Capital Improved Value,” Prosper Australia Campaign Manager David Collyer said [...]

. . . … Madam Speaker, if the Government is to balance the Budget in these difficult times, it cannot afford to indulge in forms of taxation that shrink the economy from which all public revenue is drawn. In some allegedly “conservative” circles, it has been argued — apparently with a straight face — that [...]

Hobsons Bay Council is considering charging residents by the kilogram for garbage removal. While markets have their place, putting a price on rubbish will have many unintended consequences, few of them pleasant. The anti-social will cost-shift, stuffing their garbage into neighbors’ bins in the middle of the night. Locked bins? What about pedestrians who drop [...]

Major transport projects costing billions are being proposed for Sydney and Melbourne to shrink these sprawling cities. NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell’s plans to ‘fix’ Parramatta Road by ripping it up and installing the M3 in a cut-and-cover tunnel. The poor state of Parramatta Road has ruined the sleep of every NSW Premier since Charles Cowper [...]

The solid new trend of falling house prices is confirmed by the ABS today with real prices now in retreat for seven quarters and the downward path accelerating.

ABS Inflation data out today shows a big fat zero: we have nil inflation, at least for this quarter. The consequences for interest rates are profound. Mortgage rates may seem reasonable at 6 to 7 per cent.  In practice they are agony. A real interest rate of 6 per cent is a significant transfer of [...]

21 Nov 2011 Moonee Valley Leader Council’s three strikes HINDSIGHT (‘‘Cinema plan stalled’’, Leader, November 14) has confirmed what we suspected at the time: the first mistake by the former Moonee Valley Council commissioners was to close the Moonee Ponds Market. We lost fresh food retail variety. Their second mistake was to sell the market [...]

With the sounds of despair rioting through the streets of Greece, Spain, Ireland and others who no longer have the ability to fund themselves, it is a sign of the times that even the IMF is pushing for improved tax systems relating to land values. The IMF’s “What Drives House Prices in Australia?” states: As [...]

  photo credit: raminders We follow the glitter of celebrities and our football teams and let others do the dull work of government. Our dreams are about homes, cars and holidays. But sometimes an issue is so important it deserves our undivided attention, if only for a short while. The big issue is tax – [...]

photo credit: anarchosyn The Henry Tax Review’s highlighting of Land Tax as a policy direction is a welcome and encouraging development, says Prosper Australia. “This is THE tool to liberate the people of Australia from their current financial difficulties,” Prosper Australia’s Karl Fitzgerald said today.  “Consider the enormous economic benefits this reform offers. “Taxing land [...]