Home of one’s own just a dream
COST OF LIVING
REAL estate in Tasmania is experiencing a renaissance. Properties are selling like hot cakes. A staggering $4 billion worth of will be sold this year alone. Just about every man and his dog has a house up for grabs. Unfortunately the boom does not benefit those of us who cannot afford a loan. The figure needed to buy a standard house is in the hundreds of thousands, a substantial deposit and ongoing instalments will take its toll. The median house prices are the most appealing in the nation, with a recent hike of 4.5 per cent, it stands at around $320,000.
It’s unfortunate this dream of having one’s own home is out of reach to so many hard working couples and families. A few years ago one could buy an affordable three-bedroom house for around $80,000. I can remember back in the mid 60s when a three-bedroom house in Hobart could be found for a mere $12,000, in some suburbs as low as $6-7000. Today you would need around $1 million to comfortably shop round for a home in Sydney and it’s getting that way here too. not helping vulnerable people in our community. A majority Labor Government will seek to allow people to pay bills such as registration and licences on monthly, quarterly or biannual terms without penalty. Labor will develop a Service Tasmania free smartphone app allowing people to see all their bills, while avoiding long lines at Service Tasmania.
Hard to plan for future
TASMANIA may be a special part of the world, but the unfortunate truth is that there have been people willing to acquire their own wealth at the expense of others. This style of trickle-down economics may have varied at times, but I am afraid the ruthlessness meter is on high. The government and their big business backers are trying to increase the suffering of ordinary workers.
Cuts to penalty rates, casualisation with insecurity, unrealistic rostering and worse pay and conditions are around us like bushfire smoke, and it stinks. Employees should have jobs they can count on. Then they would be able to get through their daily lives and plan for the future, and it would be good for the Tasmanian economy too.
Double whammy
I HAVE been made aware of two cases of motorists who have not received their registration renewal, even though their address is correct, and have been driving their vehicle totally unaware that it had A new way to have your say themercury.com.au readers have a new way to have their say. It’s free to use, just register and have your say. For more details and to register, visit the website. expired until they have been stopped by police. When this happens your vehicle has to have another transport inspection, at your cost, before being re-registered. It is obvious that something is not working properly otherwise this should not happen. This is probably just the tip of the iceberg. I don’t know how many others have followed the same fate. It would definitely be a nice little money earner for government.
Travel too dear
WHY is it Tasmanians are discriminated against, particularly regarding travel to our larger island state. The exorbitant cost of travelling the 200-plus km to Victoria should cost the same as it costs a mainlander to drive 200-plus km to another city or state. The outrageous cost of a car and caravan on Tasmanian taxpayerowned ferries (The Spirit) to travel our own country is overpriced and ludicrous and not only a deterrent to holiday in Australia and leave Tasmania but a deterrent for travellers to drive to Tasmania for business or holiday.
The Tasmanian government needs to focus less on receiving a large dividend and more on supporting Tasmanians and Tasmania by encouraging industry growth by fair costs to the Tasmanian population. Maybe use David Walsh’s Mona philosophy: free entry/exit on the ferries to Tasmanians holding Tasmanian driving licences. The profit should be on mostly freight and visitors, not those holding a Tasmanian licence.
Change bus rules
It’s time for our state to adopt world’s best practice regarding school bus safety, namely strict traffic control when passengers are leaving the bus: all following traffic must stop and not pass the bus when its warning lights are flashing. Oncoming traffic must slow, being prepared to stop. Yes, our youth are more valuable than the delivery schedules of gravel trucks and B-doubles (Letters, November 23). Time for our state legislature to amend the Traffic Act.
Vote on republic
NOW that a vote which cost Australians millions of dollars is finished, the federal and state governments could call for another compulsory vote which would save millions. Cut all ties with Britain and the royals and make Australia a republic. We don’t want people living thousands of kilometres away telling us what we can or can’t do in our country.
Face up to it
I THINK the new bridge in Hobart should be called ... Bridgy McBridgeFace.
Condolences on Egypt attack
MY prayers and condolences to the families of the victims of the mosque attack in Egypt. This clearly indicates the majority of victims of the so-called Islamic terrorism are in fact Muslims. I as a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, believe Muslims throughout the world despise terrorism more than anyone. We all have to join hands in the fight against this evil.