The Brumby-Madden announcement to increase Melbourne by the equivalent size of Canberra is exasperating.
100,000 vacant sites already exist in Melbourne in areas already serviced by infrastructure (according to the recent census).
The government has failed us economically.
The have failed us environmentally.
The have failed on inter-generational equity too.
The social costs in hours of commuter time will rob young families from the quality time they need.
And to think this is headlined Delivering Melbourne’s newest sustainable communities.
With over 225,000 rezonings announced in 2008, why haven’t housing prices fallen significantly with the combined effect of the GFC and this added land supply?
Reason – any land supply is drip fed back onto the market to maintain profits.
We call on the government to explain why the massive rezonings from last year have not assisted affordability.
We believe that our land use policies are to blame because they promote land hoarding. Capital gains are prioritised over affordability. The Managing Director of Mirvac, Nick Collishaw, admitted this on public record (The Age, 18/02/09).
First home buyers are being held to ransom by such monopoly powers.
Young people are being used as the funders of a bailout for property speculators. This inter-generational theft is unacceptable and immoral.
The Brumby-Madden plan will cost the community $40 billion in unnecessary infrastructure production above and beyond that collected by the unjust and inefficient GAIC tax.
We call upon the Brumby government to abolish the GAIC and Stamp Duty and replace it with a higher and flatter Land Tax.
Read the Press Release
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