Land tax key to rental costs

STATE HOUSING CRISIS

WHILE the Hodgman Government clearly wants us to believe they have the capacity, skills and commitment to decisively address the state’s housing affordability/availability crisis, reality appears paints a very different picture.

At the same time as the much publicised appointment of the new Minister for Housing, the Valuer-General for Tasmania released the 2018 adjustment factor for property land values in Tasmania. This is the figure on which state land tax is determined, and unsurprisingly it increased yet again.

State land tax is usually the largest individual cost involved in the determination of a weekly rental. Clearly, any increase in this land tax will inevitably lead to more pressure on rental rates, which will only compound the current crisis.

The Hodgman Government has a clear choice here. It can act to maintain (or even reduce like former premier David Bartlett did) land tax rates or accept another land tax windfall, knowing that its state tax is a chief determinant in the overall housing affordability crisis. It will be interesting to see the course of action they take here.

I suspect that it will be like the Airbnb fiasco it created where it appears it has little or no understanding of wider implications of legislation and the imbalances and inequities such ill-considered ideologically driven legislation creates in the housing market as evidenced by the current crisis. disadvantaged in not being able to find rental accommodation can only afford $174 per week, which is that provided for rent by Centrelink to those receiving benefits. There would not be one Airbnb in Hobart for that rate.

It is incomprehensible to think that families on Centrelink payments, disability benefits and other government funding can arrive in paradise (Hobart and other Tasmanian locations) without employment and expect a rental door for $174 a week to magically open before them.

Cruel

THOSE forced to surrender their dogs to gain a rental property face discrimination at its worst against animal lovers and young children with pet dogs. Landlords who practise this behaviour against disadvantaged homeless people should be banned from the rental market. properties and pays for the upkeep and maintenance. Removing the landlords rights to choose their tenants, and under what conditions, is a fundamental right while giving them some control over how the property will be looked after.

Pets can be great companions but some can be destructive, unhygienic, noisy and will quickly devalue a property and create expensive maintenance and repair bills.

Should the Government take this suggestion on board it would most likely lead to massive increases in rental rates in order for landlords to cover the increased cost of renting out their property.

Empty houses

WITH the housing crisis and people living in tents at the showgrounds, I wonder why there are empty houses in Gagebrook. I drive past them a lot and they have been sitting empty for some time now.

Big issues

HAVING dubiously won the election, the Hodgman Government now has the task of demonstrating to us all its ability and intent of assisting the people with a pokies addiction. The Government’s start on the help of the homeless in the summit has been acknowledged as worthy, though no understanding of its immediate intention is apparent. Both acute problems must constitute the Government’s first attention in their budget.

Pessimism

THE ratepayers of Hobart can look forward to the future with Hickey gone. The taxpayers of Tasmania will now look forward to her getting things done as her election poster said but will not hold their breath waiting.

Lies, lies, lies

BORIS Johnson and Theresa May are foaming at the mouth over Russia, similar to Tony Blair’s ranting lies about the late Saddam Hussein and his weapons of mass destruction. The resulting disaster of that lie is ongoing for the Iraqi people.

Parking pain

TIME limiting parking on suburban streets and carparks near workplaces moves all-day parkers elsewhere so it becomes someone else’s problem. Instead of sticking new signs in the ground or policing restrictions vigorously, councils, in particular Glenorchy, would be better off providing local workers alternatives instead of pushing them up residential streets and causing grief to residents.

Lack of heart

COLUMNIST Simon Bevilacqua makes a passionate plea on behalf of 65 million people who have fled their homes in recent times to escape famine, climate change and war. Simon pleads for allowing few thousands to settle in Tasmania. Unfortunately, it will be ignored by heartless politicians — until we have more with heart like Malcolm Fraser and Bob Hawke who allowed so many boat people from Vietnam, who have made a great contribution to Australia.