by Dr Cameron Murray cross-posted from The Conversation Value capture actually can work when it comes to funding new transport infrastructure. My research on the Gold Coast light rail provides the figures to demonstrate the size of the gains to nearby land values, which were around 25% of the A$1.2 billion capital cost in stage […]
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Prosper urges the Local Government Review to mandate Site Value
Victoria is reviewing its Local Government Act 1989. The original Act is now subject to over 90 amending acts, so the Review is timely and necessary. Buried among the good ideas to improve local government is a very bad one, obliging all councils to use Capital Improved Value as the ratings base. Prosper Australia’s submission […]
Read MoreThe EJ Craigie Writing Award
The 2016 EJ Craigie Writing Award was presented at the 125th Annual Henry George Commemorate Dinner to Philip Soos for his excellent article Australia’s Real Lifters and Leaners published by Independent Australia on June 2. While the award is for a single piece of work, the Prosper Australia executive noted Philip’s considerable output and consistent […]
Read MoreThe First Interval – Evaluating ACT’s Land Value Tax Transition – Full Report
The First Interval – Evaluating ACT’s Land Value Tax Transition By Dr Cameron Murray Prosper Australia commissioned Dr Murray to examine the early benefits of ACT’s 20 year process replacing conveyancing stamp duty with land tax. His report is here: the-first-interval-evaluating-acts-land-valur-tax-transition
Read More125th Henry George Commemoration Dinner
A full house turned up to hear Prosper Australia president, Catherine Cashmore, deliver her address, entitled “The Culture of Abundance” at the 125th Henry George Commemoration Dinner in Melbourne on Thursday night. One of the best speeches for years, a good mixture of Georgists and non-Georgists heard Cashmore explain how much of Australia’s abundance flows pathologically into […]
Read MoreThe First Interval – Evaluating ACT’s Land Value Tax Transition
; The First Interval – Evaluating ACT’s Land Value Tax Transition By Dr Cameron Murray Prosper Australia commissioned Dr Murray to examine the early benefits of ACT’s 20 year process replacing conveyancing stamp duty with land tax. He will present his calculations and conclusions at: 12.30-1.15pm Monday 12 September 2016 Boardroom, Hotel Realm 18 National […]
Read MorePrivate tax is the great unspoken of neoliberal philosophy. And the rich are the winners
by Philip Soos reposted from The Guardian When we hear talk about taxation, it is naturally assumed to refer to those taxes which are levied by the government. After all, no individual or business can charge anyone else a tax, right? From the 1980s onwards in the neoliberal era, there has been an effort by […]
Read MoreThree unofficial state secrets about the housing problem
by Gavin Putland re-posted from his blog Secret 1: The purpose of encouraging home ownership is to create a majority of voters who own real estate and who therefore support policies that make real estate as expensive as possible, for the benefit of the biggest owners. Secret 2: The purpose of financing home ownership through […]
Read MoreWolves at the door – not trying to push it down, yet
Back in May, US blogger Wolf Richer held forth on Wolf Street that hedge funds were betting record amounts on the imminent meltdown of Australian banks and our housing bubble by shorting shares. His arguments had me nodding my bearish head in agreement, yet the facts tell a different story. If shorts think a business […]
Read MoreLand Use Corrupted by Economics and Religion
by Bryan Kavanagh reposted from thedepression.org.au ECONOMICS Economics is about how we produce and distribute our wealth. This is important because it’s about us: about our daily lives. But we’ve outsourced economics to economists who don’t understand the role of land within political economy. They’ve put themselves upon a pedestal as high priests of a […]
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