A welcome reform to land tax assessment

This week I had a pleasant surprise when I received something I had been dreading, my land tax account. It has, following a review of the system, been reduced significantly from last year’s shock assessment.

Credit must be given where it is due and I applaud the Gutwein government for having listened to the concerns of property owners and acting accordingly. Such actions are rare in politics and the reductions are especially commendable given the difficulties all governments are facing in view of the issues resulting from the Covid epidemic and increasing pressure re climate change and other worldwide issues.

I also applaud Labor member David O’Byrne for being one of the few on the other side of the political spectrum who, unlike some who saw concerned property owners as selfish, greedy capitalists, recognised the likely negative effects across the community of last years unfair increases and showed visible support for a review.

Richard Lennard, West Hobart