Latest News & Commentary
Want to know the truth about property taxes? Try these facts
The confrontation over Victoria’s Social and Affordable Housing Levy may have been short lived when the proposed levy was quickly dropped after conniptions by the property lobby but the shibboleth that property taxes represent a large proportion of the cost of buying a house is economic propaganda that just won’t die.
Pandemic rental dynamics: an (un)natural experiment in excess supply
Tuesday 21st March The Kelvin Club, 14-30 Melbourne Pl, Melbourne VIC 3000 map 5:30pm Join us in-person we present findings from our latest research note - Pandemic rental dynamics: an (un)natural experiment in excess supply by Jesse Hermans and Tim Helm. You’d...
What if land markets are monopolies?
Planning deregulation, especially rezoning, has been repeatedly touted as a key policy solution to Australia’s eye watering house prices. The story goes that prices remain high because the supply of new dwellings in accessible, desirable locations has not kept pace...
The ‘not enough’ budget clears the way for a bigger tax conversation
Times are turbulent and changing: pandemics, wars, energy crises, climate disasters, inflation, a new government. In this very challenging context, the Albanese government has handed down its first budget. The budget is in many ways foundational. It covers what Labor...
The 2022 EJ Craigie Award Winner
Prosper’s outgoing Director of Advocacy, Karl Fitzgerald, picked up the EJ Craigie Award for best Georgist writing at the 2022 Henry George Dinner and Address. His opinion piece “Forget red or green tape, developers squeeze housing supply with gold tape” appeared in...
131st Annual Henry George Commemorative Dinner and Address
On September 14, 2022 we descended on the Kelvin Club (and online) to listen to Economist Brendan Coates delivering a sobering, hopeful evidenced based address. The 131st Henry George Commemorative Address Dinner and Address attracted a diverse crowd from across...
Queensland Land Tax reversal a win for property industry spin
Director of Research Danny Spring, Policy Coordinator Jesse Hermans The Queensland government has backed down on nation-leading land tax reform after backlash from other states and an opposing media campaign waged by big property. The tax reform was modest, impacting...
NSW and VIC value capture reforms: A comparison
By Li YiLin Value capture type reforms are underway in Victoria and New South Wales. Both governments aim to increase contributions from people who benefit from public decisions that increase land values, known as value capture,...
Workers and businesses need to get on the same page: it’s time to tax super-profits
The wage share of our collective income is at historical lows while the profits share is on the rise. Why is this? There has been some dispute over what impact wages have on inflation (practically none), and if profits have driven inflation. Yet the picture is clearly...
ACCC, Auditor Generals MIA re Land Banking
Cross-posted from The Age's Cara Waters. More regulation of property developers is needed to prevent them deliberately releasing land slowly to drive up prices for aspiring home owners and maximise their own profits, according to independent think tank Prosper...
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