Western Victoria Region
Joe McCRACKEN (Western Victoria) (12:53): (688) My constituency matter is for the attention of the Treasurer, and I ask him to review land tax arrangements. I had one of my constituents write to me from Lovely Banks. She said that she works in the public service and her husband is a tradie. In her email she said, ‘To my shock this morning I opened my land tax bills from the government.’ And yes, she had heard about increases. She went on to say that nothing shocked her more than to find that for four rental properties that they own in working-class suburbs they have been slugged $9780 in land tax. That is a $6000 increase. Now, she has borrowed money – quite a lot of money – to get these properties online, but they are worried that they might have to do something with them, perhaps even sell them, because they just cannot afford to maintain them. And she says in her closing line:
For the joy of living in the most locked down place in the world I received a $6,000 hike in land tax … Wow.
Well, she is one of many.
Sitting suspended 12:54 pm until 2:02 pm.