Latest News & Commentary
CIV Rates Make Families Subsidize Land Speculators
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...
ACT Rates Scaremongering
Regarding the recent ACT Liberal Party scare campaign against rates, Dr Terry Dwyer writes: Being fundamentally disinterested in political games but keenly interested in policy and good government (which, judging from Mr Slipper’s emails, sadly does not always seem to...
Victorian Local Government Candidate Survey 2012
Prosper Australia recently surveyed all Victorian local government candidates on rating issues. The survey has now closed and the results are in. Voters can examine candidate responses by LGA here. Please click on the candidate's name to see their comments. Our aim in...
Written Off: Negative Gearing Report
by Philip Soos Executive Summary Negative gearing is a popular investment strategy as it allows a net loss to be deducted against an investor’s personal tax liability at their marginal tax rate. While negative gearing has likely been in operation since the first...
Council Rating Subsidies
Council Rates: Who Pays More? The land speculator or family home? Under Capital Improved Valuation (CIV)/ Net Annual Value (NAV) the land speculator typically gets a 30% discount in rates over the family home. Capital Improved Valuation penalises homeowners for...
Housing Bubble – Don’t Buy Now!
David Collyer's edited presentation from our Northcote Town Hall event earlier this year. With a jump in job losses last quarter, stock levels at near record levels, land supply in abundance and over 90,000 vacant properties here in Melbourne, one wonders how long...
Written Off: Negative Gearing
Tuesday Oct 2nd, 6.30pm 1/27 Hardware La, Melbourne Presenter: Philip Soos RSVP $5 entry Does Negative Gearing increase rental supply? Is it a path to wealth or a black hole? Download the full report (PDF) Philip Soos has assembled an extensive array of data to...
Land Tax Stability
The education of the public via mainstream media continues to grow with Jessica Irvine writing in the Herald Sun today: "State governments do apply some land taxes, particularly on investment properties. But a major recommendation of the Henry review was for a broader...
Banking on Land Rent
by Dirk Bezemer and Michael Hudson As published in the World Economic Association's World Economic Review Vol #1. Borrowed from Michael Hudson's website, where you can find details of his new book The Bubble and Beyond. ABSTRACT Current macroeconomics ignores the...
Renovating for fun and profit
Toby Johnstone in the Sydney Morning Herald is at it again, suggesting renovating for profit in Sydney makes sense. On September 8 he profiled 50 Princes Street Bexley where a bright-eyed couple spent 5 years reclaiming a ‘swamp’. The property is now for sale at...
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