Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Action, Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

May I firstly congratulate the member for Canberra on her initiative in relation to ovarian cancer. It is a good, important, solid initiative with support from all members of this House. I want to raise briefly the actions of the Victorian government in imposing an extraordinary and unprecedented tax on landowners throughout parts of my electorate—the areas of Clyde, Cardinia, and Devon Meadows. The growth area infrastructure charge will be a tax of up to $95,000 for landowners and landholders who do nothing. This tax will come in in a short period of time once the urban growth boundary planning process is complete.

Upon transfer of the land, the new owner will have to make that payment. The reality is that that payment will come straight off the bottom line of the money to be received by the seller. Long-standing farmers will suffer. Long-standing family owner groups will suffer. There is a better way which is equitable and fair, and that is the alternative proposal which has been put forward by the Victorian opposition which will help to protect farmers. Only at the point of development should a growth area infrastructure charge be levied, not at the point of transfer. It will guarantee that farms are destroyed and torn up. This must not be allowed to happen. We want to protect the land, protect the area, protect the farmers and have it only on development. (Time expired)