Victorian taxpayers were kicked in the teeth yesterday by Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allen, who announced city landholders would not have to contribute to the $10.9 billion Metro Rail project, though they will enjoy substantial and certain land prices rises...
BLOG: infrastructure
Cheap housing is good for business!
by Dr Gavin Putland reposted from grputland.com If you want to expand your business, you probably need to hire people. But you can't hire them unless they can afford to pay for housing within commuting distance of your business premises, out of wages that you can...
Perverse incentives from dud taxes dog public infrastructure investment
Melbourne Domain Sunday went into shock and horror over the impact a proposed elevated rail would have on the selling prices of adjoining Carnegie properties. Area agents say the value of houses backing onto the rail line from Carnegie to Hughesdale could be slashed...
Do we at last have an Infrastructure Prime Minister?
Over the weekend, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull delighting Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk by announcing a federal contribution of $95 million for the Gold Coast light rail project. Journalists have leapt on this new policy stance, different from the...
Victoria to cap the single best tax base available
The Andrews government is capping local governments rate rises to CPI after fifteen years of six per cent rises in a low inflation environment. Minister for Local Government Natalie Hutchins’ Fair Go Rates System, administered by the Essential Services Commission,...
12km of cost-shifting – onto working stiffs like you
The Property Council of Australia was out again yesterday, sternly defending the land from pesky taxes and ‘value capture’. Well, their land. The ACT branch said its members "applaud the ACT government's vision" for the 12-kilometre tram linking the city and...
The valuation conundrum – not.
By Bryan Kavanagh and David Collyer This week’s game-changer, the Property Taxes paper by Grattan Institute has a minor error on land valuation that needs correcting before it becomes a gift to the opponents of reform. Grattan is acutely aware that on this topic they...
Value Capture trumps Tolls
Yesterday's press release was quoted in The Age article Pay Up: Grand Plan to get big projects built. After quoting the soft option of tolling drivers, which has failed spectacularly as a financing mechanism in NSW and QLD, the article moves on to quote the RACV's...
Funding Melbourne’s new underground rail link
Media Release “The Andrews government has lost no time putting its stamp on the future shape of Melbourne, funding the planning stage of the Melbourne Metro Rail tunnel – while fretting about the $9 billion cost. “Victoria can fund this vital connection, lifting train...
Value Capture at Melb Transport Super Forum
Last night's Melbourne Transport Super Forum featuring Minister Terry Mulden, the ALP's Jill Hennessy and the Green's Greg Barber was as packed as a Melbourne train with policy wonks and advocates. The presentations were dominated by the usual point scoring. But there...