The Daily PerspectiveCattle baron takes Valuer General to court over $1m valuation error
Mojo ♻️@GhostOnTheHalfShell Exactly. Victoria is currently running the "progressive" tax playbook that San Francisco's Proposition M (the "Empty Homes Tax") aimed for—but with more teeth.
Here is the breakdown:
1. The Vacancy Reality
While SF's version has faced legal hurdles and local pushback, Victoria’s Vacant Residential Land Tax (VRLT) is already live. As of January 1, 2026, it has expanded to the entire state. If a property is empty for 6+ months, the tax hits hard and grows every year:
Year 1: 1% of the property’s total value.
Year 2: 2%.
Year 3+: 3%.
On a $1M home, that’s a $30,000 yearly penalty just for keeping it empty.
2. Targeting "Land Banking"
Starting this year (2026), Victoria is also taxing unimproved land in Melbourne that’s been sitting undeveloped for 5 years. It stops investors from just holding dirt and waiting for a payday while people struggle to find homes.
3. The "Stagnation" Secret
The media calls Melbourne’s flat house prices a "weak market," but it’s likely the policy working. By lowering the land tax threshold to just $50,000, the state has made it expensive to hold multiple properties. Investors are selling off because the "holding costs" now outweigh the profit.
It’s a massive experiment in using tax to force houses back onto the market—and the silence from the mainstream press suggests the "investor class" is feeling the squeeze.
#housingjustice #vicpol #vacancytax #melbourneproperty #landtax
CosmoCan we do this in #Sacramento ? (I guess a #LandTax would do too.) https://www.abridged.org/news/landlords-with-empty-storefronts-across-citrus-heights-may-face-new-penalties/
The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.
Victoria's higher land taxes on investors have made Melbourne Australia's most affordable capital: slower price rises, more first-home buyers, gentler rent hikes. Data shows this benefits the majority—78% of Aussie households aren't property investors, but buyers, renters, or dreamers locked out by speculation.
Nationally adopting this could close wealth gaps & ease housing pain for most of us.
Yet the ABC still panders to corporate overlords, skewing reports to fret over the investor minority while sidelining the 78% majority struggling.
Time for fairer policies that put people first.
#Auspol #HousingCrisis #LandTax #Australia #AffordableHousing
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-19/melbourne-house-prices-affordable-capital-city/106210992
News BeepVictoria’s raised land taxes hurting property owners and businesses alike
For some people, having your property valued at double or triple what you’re told it’s worth could be…
#NewsBeep #News #Headlines #AU #Australia #Debt #landtax #michaelcavanagh #moe #property #PropertyTax #valuations #valuer-general #Victoria #victoria'sdebt
https://www.newsbeep.com/245332/
In this article, Leith van Onselen skirts around what has been a cornerstone of his previous arguments that Victoria’s investor targeted land tax hikes that have arguably made housing more accessible for first home buyers. Instead, he veers into vague statements about the state’s economy being ‘weak’ and ‘crime’ being a concern, without evidence or explanation. If he truly prioritised readers, he’d lean into the policy discussion he used to champion and not include superficial and distracting comments that detract from a meaningful dialogue on affordability.
#auspol #housingcrsis #landtax #vestedInterests #propertylobby
https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2025/09/if-you-want-a-cheaper-house-move-to-melbourne/
If you want a cheaper house, move to Melbourne
The latest dwelling value results from PropTrack show that Melbourne continues to lag the other major capital cities for price growth. Melbourne dwelling values rose by just 2.1% in the year to August, easily the softest growth among the state capitals. As illustrated in the following chart, Melbourne dwelling value growth has lagged the other
Jules 🍺Interesting talk about why we should implementing a land tax in the UK, the advantages are very clear.
https://youtu.be/Kz5HXTY0HPU?si=LAEth5iHcg4qA5aV
Here is a government petition to implement said land tax
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/732553
Could Land Tax Fix the UK's Money Problems?
Lyle Solla-Yateshttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1051137716302868 “this impact differs between residential land and commercial and industrial land. Residential land appears to be more responsive to changes in the tax differential than commercial and industrial land” We found a similar effect looking at #cville assessment data, we think because commercial and industrial land is more likely to be surface parking. #LandValueTax #LandTax #TaxReform #housing #Georgism
https://nation.cymru/news/plans-to-replace-unfair-council-tax-still-on-the-cards/ “The current system is unfairly weighted against those who experience difficulty in paying. I want to shift the focus from harmful escalation towards supportive prevention” #Wales #housing #LandTax #TaxReform #equity #shortage #CouncilTax #georgism
Plans to replace ‘unfair’ council tax still on the cards
Chris Haines, ICNN Senedd reporter Wales’ finance secretary Mark Drakeford confirmed plans for a land value tax remain on the table as a potential long-term replacement for council tax and business rates. The former first minister said the Welsh Government continues to explore the feasibility of a land value tax as used in countries such […]
Melbourne: A rare house price oasis in Australia’s overheated property market.
While most capitals are pricing out first home buyers, Melbourne is quietly becoming more accessible — thanks in large part to Victoria’s investor-targeted tax regime.
No praise, of course, is given to the state government for:
• The Vacant Residential Land Tax (discouraging empty homes)
• Higher land tax rates on investment properties
• The windfall gains tax on rezoned land
These measures have cooled investor demand and helped keep prices within reach of everyday buyers. Other states take note.
https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2025/05/how-melbourne-transformed-into-a-house-price-oasis/
#melbourneproperty #housingaffordability #firsthomebuyer #victoriapolitics #propertyinvestors #realestateaus #melbournehousing #australianproperty #housingpolicy #landtax #macrobusiness #propertymarket
How Melbourne transformed into a house price oasis
According to CoreLogic’s April home value index, Melbourne is the nation’s cheapest major capital city property market. Melbourne’s median dwelling value was $786,158 at the end of April 2025, $119,605 (13% lower) than the national capital city median. The improved affordability of Melbourne’s housing market comes after five years of relative stagnation. As seen in