More levies on civic business

Wait…here they come…..

violins!

To be fair about this issue, in all other parts of the country, this sort of urban redevelopment levy would be imposed and managed by the relevant local government. The levy for the Brisbane Mall is a very successful example, covering extensive high quality streetscaping and promotion activities. One need only try to wend their way through the thousands of people in the mall every day (and night) to know how successful a well managed CBD mall can be. Similar levies on existing businesses and infrastructure charges on new development have allowed extensive urban redevlopment on the Sunshine Coast in Mooloolaba, Maroochydore, Nambour and elsewhere. I was part of the Council that approved these, and can vouch for their success.
While it is pretty easy to slag off at everything our regional government does, we have to remember that it has to do everything we want of it based on a very marginal tax base. And this is exacerbated by the thousands who come from the nearby NSW areas daily, add their wear and tear to the ACT infrastructure but contribute nothing to the costs.
I remember what a creepy and unsafe place the Canberra CBD was just a few years ago. It is a lot better now, and Friday nights around the City Walk are quite pleasant. But it could be so much better.
The money for everything we want to happen around this city has to come from somewhere. Far better to target it as close to the chief beneficiaries as possible I believe.

I don’t suppose Bill and Steve would have any better ideas for raising ACT govt revenue, last time around they wanted to privatise the buses, sell the rest of ACTEW to AGL and develop every block of land a developer wanted to.

All good ideas.

Strangely the Fed’s don’t pay rates or payroll tax which is what keeps other state govt’s afloat. The ACT as one of the next income tax exporters has less ways of raising revenue.

All that said, another levy on Civic sounds like a way to keep making it less attractive to everyone.

I don’t suppose Bill and Steve would have any better ideas for raising ACT govt revenue, last time around they wanted to privatise the buses, sell the rest of ACTEW to AGL and develop every block of land a developer wanted to.

Rock Hard Place.

I don’t understand how things like this can be happening. And I won’t work in civic, because of the general schemozzle and the horrible parking costs and situation. Had to brave the place weekend before last as I was after some shoes. All the shops seemed to have pretty-much the same shoes! ie it helped if you had 20-year-old feet. Hopeless. Found some much better ones at Manuka.
Civic’s boring and too expensive, so they’re going to make it more expensive? That’ll work! NOT!

And they screech and moan because businesses are moving to the airport.

The infrastructure charge they are talking about relates to a cents per kilometre levy on telephone landlines in ACT.

Okay, make it $1 then.

Oh c’mon $10k wouldn’t make that much difference.

If Stanhope and Co had to put 20c into a tin for every stupid idea they come up with, cock-up they make or every example of useless grandstanding that Stanhope pops up with, then the ACT budget would be in much better shape.

and they have only just got rid of Stamp Duty on Business Assets. This is another way of bringing in Revenue for the ACT Govt.