The Victorian Government today announced details around the new tax replacement to fund the Victorian fire services. The new property tax will be applied to all properties in Victoria – even those not insured. This approach was a key recommendation from the Bushfire Royal Commission and is fairer approach. From 1 July 2013, households will [...]

Last Thursday, as Victorians were cleaning up after the previous night’s flash flooding and thunderstorms, a report was quietly released that looks set to form the basis of the Victorian Government’s economic agenda.The Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission, or VCEC, released its draft report into a State-based reform agenda following a formal inquiry that Treasurer [...]

After its election in March this year, the new Coalition State Government in New South Wales took the decision to hand down its budget in September – rather than the traditional May – to allow it more time to consider its decisions. The result, handed down this week, is the first Coalition budget in NSW [...]

It’s not every day that a Government has the opportunity to introduce and design a new tax from scratch. And while it might not be a task a Government will relish it’s an exercise which, as the current debate over the Federal Government’s $8 billion plus carbon tax shows, has to be well considered. While [...]