The Dawkins changes were about FUNDING of universities and providing regional campuses, NOT the 'aspirational' Howard BS of a degree for everyone.
FINALLY someone has acknowledged the problem! https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-06/cotality-says-building-delays-not-approvals-holding-up-housing/105614902 Friend looking to contract for a small house&land (single story 3 bed spec house) deal in Elliott Heads (middle of nowhere, but beachside) has been quoted a build time of 44 weeks!
As of April 2024, Jacinta Allan and the State Labor Government have announced 53 new or increased taxes including: 1. A new stamp duty on property transfers between spouses (2017-18) 2. An increased stamp duty on new cars (2017-18) 3. A new stamp duty on off-the-plan purchasers (2017-18) 4. A new so-called ‘vacant home’ tax (2017-18) 5. Widening of vacant residential land tax to uninhabitable properties (2019-20) 6. Retrospective increase in insurance duty for overseas-based insurers (2019-20) 7. A new annual property valuation to increase land tax 8. Cladding rectification tax (2019/20) 9. Environment Mitigation Levy 10. Increased luxury car tax (2019-20) 11. Increased land tax for homes with contiguous blocks on a separate title (2019-20) 12. Increased Fire Services Property Levy (2015-16) 13. Increased Fire Services Property Levy (2019-20) 14. A new point of consumption gambling tax 15. A tripling of brown coal royalties (2016-17) 16. Gold mining royalties (2019-20) 17. A new tax on Uber and taxi fares. (2016-17 Update) 18. A new corporate restructure duty (2019-20) 19. Increased foreign stamp duty (2019-20) 20. Increased foreign stamp duty (2016-17) 21. Introduced foreign stamp duty 2015-16) 22. Increased absentee landowner surcharge for foreigner property (2019-20) 23. Increased absentee landowner surcharge for foreigner property (2016-17) 24. Increased absentee landowner surcharge for foreigner property (2015-16) 25. A new city access tax for West Gate Tunnel 26. A new ‘on-dock rail’ charge on imported shipping containers 27. Increase to the Municipal and Industrial Landfill Levy (‘bin tax’) 28. Road Occupation Charge on construction companies 29. Number plate tax 30. Electric Vehicle tax 31. A new affordable housing tax (windfall gain tax on rezoned land) 32. Increased land tax on taxable landholdings above $1.8 million 33. Increased stamp duty on property transactions 34. Expanded point of consumption tax on gambling to keno 35. 10 per cent increase to Victorian Government penalty units 36. Expanded land tax on gender-exclusive clubs 37. Mental health payroll tax surcharge 38. Increased wagering and betting tax (2021-22) 39. Increased Fire Services Property Levy (2021-22) 40. 50 per cent increase to Births, Deaths and Marriages fees 41. Proposed levy on employers to fund 5 days sick leave for casual employees – initially a government-funded trial to be followed up with a new tax after 2 years 42. Narrowing the Land Tax exemption for charitable institutions by harshly insisting that charitable institutions “exclusively” use their land for charitable purposes, otherwise triggering a full Land Tax charge on the entire landholding. 43. Increase to the WorkCover average premium rate 44. Increased payroll tax on businesses (Job Tax) 45. Increased land tax on landholdings above $300,000 (Rent Tax) 46. Land tax on landholdings between $50,000 to $300,000 (Rent Tax) 47. Increased absentee landowner surcharge for foreigner property (2023-24) 48. Increased wagering and betting tax (2023-24) 49. A new school tax on independent schools (Schools Tax) (2023-24) 50. Holiday and Tourism Tax (2023-24) 51. Expanded land tax on vacant residential land (Holiday House Tax) (2023-24) 52. Expanded land tax on unimproved residential land (2023-24) 53. GP's Health Tax (2023-24) 54. New tax on all properties in Victoria by replacing the Growth Areas Infrastructure Contribution (GAIC) charge – currently set at up to $131,360 per hectare, with a new Victoria-wide tax on all properties across all postcodes. How do you live in Victoria. But wait, the rest of the country won't be far behind.
I was pretty happy they brought in this one “8. Cladding rectification tax (2019/20)” I have apartments in a Melbourne CBD building that was deemed to have combustible cladding and as a result all the cladding had to be removed and replaced. The work is still ongoing and has been a PITA, however the government body Cladding Safety Victoria has provided funding of close to $3m which covers about 75% of the total cost. That would otherwise have been a cost to the owners….