Category: state-government
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Granting disproportionate airtime to Pauline Hanson and One Nation does not advance policy debate. Still, her recent commentary prompted me to ask a fundamental question: how would such a policy actually be implemented? Stripping away the inflammatory rhetoric and emotional reactions reveals a complex mechanism that demands a factual, detailed examination. Regardless of how extremist…
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The government’s changes to the Fire Services Property Levy (FSPL) place an unfair, disproportionate financial burden on regional property owners. This policy fails to guarantee that increased tax revenues will be reinvested into frontline regional emergency services. I call for an immediate overhaul of the funding mechanism to ensure transparency, regional equity, and guaranteed funding…
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Question: What does $911,200,000 in combined State and Federal funding (including some loan facility) get you? Answer: Net increase of 174 dwellings or an increase of 39%. And 0% of these are Public Housing, instead, 100% are managed by Community Housing Providers. Only 45.2% of completed dwellings are social housing. 54.8% of the new structures…
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On paper, this is the perfect Brunswick development – 8.2 star energy efficiency, premium location, encompassing “affordable housing”, targeting 50% of Brunswick residents who rent, with “premium” innercity-style amenities. It’s even backed by the state-owned Green Energy Finance Corporation to show a “new way” in the industry for sustainable green design. 15 apartments are offered…
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Despite Victoria’s brown coal legacy, ~42% of power is now from renewables. That means Victorians enjoy lower electricity prices. But the high reliance on gas for heating means not everyone is enjoying lower energy bills. The policy settings are in place for 2 million households to pivot off gas for home heating and cooking. The…
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The four “channels” of the $5.3 billion Big Housing Build rely on “Ground Lease Models” and “Public-Private Partnerships” (PPPs), in which private developers manage or lease public land for periods of up to 40 years. In practice, this directs public funding into long-term, highly conditional contracts with private entities. Such arrangements risk failing to deliver…
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The phrase “fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me” perfectly captures the public and political frustration surrounding Victoria’s public transport ticketing history. The Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) repeated almost the exact same mistakes in 2023 that led to the original myki disaster in 2005. The Victorian public is again on…
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Coastal erosion is our new reality. We need to prepare for changes to our coastal landscape due to rising sea levels. A planned retreat (or managed retreat) involves the purposeful relocation of people, infrastructure, and ecosystems away from the coastline. Victoria is planning for sea level rises of 0.8m by 2100. This is a mandated…
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The government should act to: Victoria produces around one-quarter of Australia’s total plantation-grown wood. Victoria holds the largest export volume in the country, shipping around 5.3 million m³ of wood products per year. The sector supports over 25,000 jobs (direct and downstream), the largest forestry workforce in Australia, Although Victoria leads the nation in hardwood…
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I join the 100 medical, legal and human rights organisations in calling to Raise the Age for criminal responsibility to at least 14. Victoria cannot renege on its commitment to further raise the age by 2027. As a former teacher, I cannot comprehend a 12-year-old child in Year 6 or 7 being subjected to adult…
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Victoria is the second largest agricultural producer (behind NSW) and has the largest agricultural workforce. Agriculture contributes 2% of Gross State Product. 60% of Australia’s milk comes from Victoria, and 73% of dairy exports. Victoria is Australia’s leading food and fibre exporter, accounting for 27% of the national total. Victoria contributes 45% of national horticultural…
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Victoria’s state debt is the largest in Australia and is projected to reach around 25% of Gross State Product this year. Interest payments alone are expected to rise to 9% of the state budget by 2028. Borrowing to fund infrastructure is both normal and necessary. Before the “Big Build”, Victoria had underinvested in infrastructure following…
Mel Yuan for Brunswick 