Australia’s total land value has soared past $10 trillion, according to new ABS data — yet ordinary workers continue to shoulder most of the nation’s tax load. Prosper Australia says the figures highlight the need to rebalance the tax system so that unearned gains from land and natural resources contribute their fair share.
“Australia’s land and resource wealth rivals that of any nation, yet unlike other resource-rich countries that reinvest these unearned incomes for public benefit, we let them flow untaxed to private owners, said Rayna Fahey, Advocacy Director at Prosper Australia.
“Land value growth is driven by public investment and location, not individual effort or expense. Reducing or removing the capital gains tax discount for real estate, alongside broader value capture policies, would reclaim unearned windfalls generated by government decisions, ensuring these gains benefit the community rather than private owners.”
Australia can no longer afford a system that taxes effort while giving windfalls to those who simply hold land. It’s time to shift the burden off earned incomes and onto unearned wealth.”
Source: ABS, Australian System of National Accounts, Table 61, 2024-25
