Australian Politics, Mark II

Well, too many of those will never be enough…

1 Like

Just wondering if the ones that you and your sister received were state grants rather than federal? 'Coz my memory was that it was Howard & Costello that introduced them as well.

I wish that they’d name them accurately, something like the VAG or Vendor Assistance Grant, as that is just about all they do. Not that I oppose assisting first home buyers, but I’d like something a little more targeted and effective that doesn’t line vendor pockets with taxpayer funds…

1 Like

I’m pretty sure in the 70’s there was a scheme of zero stamp duty for 1st home buyers - maybe you are thinking of that. I don’t recall there being any grants introduced under Hawke or Keating & it was absolutely 100% Howard that introduced what was called the First Home Owners Grant (FHOG).

With house prices where they are now a removal of stamp duty for 1st home buyers would be far more effective & efficient in assisting people into the property market. Its just stupid to hand over a grant with 1 hand & take back a lot more with the other & for what - stamp duty is a scam.

2 Likes

I think the ACT ran a means tested first homebuyer grant pre Howard years. Stamp duty concessions have beeen available from time to time at sub Federal level.

Nope, tracked it down, it was as suggested above, a Victorian State Government first home buyers plan. Initially it was $200 but raised to $500 by 1974 when I got it.

Stamp Duty back then was fark all; remember houses were cheap. My first house in Ascot Vale cost $22,000 in 1974. The expensive bit was conveyancing charges which back then could only be done by a solicitor and they charged us about over $1000.

Actually State Governments in most States offered these grants, well before Howard/Costello did in 2000, and most still do.

If you build a new house in Bacchus Marsh, I think you can get $40,000 from State Government for first home.

I like the idea of incentivising building in “rural areas”. We definitely don’t need more houses in the burbs especially not without EWL.

2 Likes

I was a bit wrong.

Build a new first home in Regional Victoria up to $750,000 and you get $20,000. $10,000 in metro area.

Plus no stamp duty on first homes up to value of $600,000. I guess this is about another $20,000 or so.

There are a massive number of new homes going up in The Marsh, Ballarat and Bendigo. Don’t know where these people work though.

The downside is the cost of block of land has gone through the roof. About $400,000 for a 700 sq m block around the new parts of Melton and over $250,000 for some near me. There is plan for a new development near Bacchus Marsh of 4000 blocks, and I know the developer paid about $10 million for the land. Once it is rezoned and it will happen, blocks will be maybe $200,000 which turns $10 mill into $800 mill !!!

1 Like

At some point, there needs to be a discussion on moving some big business out to the major rural hubs in Victoria and NSW. There’s no way you can keep cramming people in the 'Burbs in Melbourne indefinitely.

I would have thought moving the automotive industry out to Bendigo/Marsh/Ballarat would have been a goer.

That, or invest big in transport initiatives to connect those rural centres to Melbourne (high speed rail).

What automotive industry?

8 Likes

You are wrong. Howard and co did not introduce it, they continued it and I believe at a lower rate than what I received in 1984. I was 31 in 1984, so not a young no nothing and my memory (and paper records) do not lie.

Decentralisation has been around forever. But when it gets captured by pork barreling like Barnaby moving parts of the Agriculture Department to his electorate, it’s a disaster.

1 Like

That was my point.

Gov’t should never have let it die. Awful, awful decision.

Well BB, I have searched far and wide, and all I can find is that the Federal Government First Home Buyers Grant started 1st July 2000 by the Howard Government as compensation to intro of GST.

State Government Scheme started earlier, but cannot find an history record of this other than my Menedue in 1974, seemingly same with you 10 years later.

Build a fast rail down the east coast then i can come and watch more Bombers games.

They still fly planes into Melbourne and often cheaper than a train.

image

Morrison going on and on about Labor being a high taxing party. Based on what? Have labor mentioned any policies which raise taxes? Or is this some bullshit about try to get tax breaks through for the big end of town and if it doesn’t happen it means Labor are “taxing you all into oblivion!”

It’s based on nothing and complete bollocks.

I’ll tell you what I will do. After this week where I am playing bowls in Kukerin Tues/Wed and a bit of work Thus/Fri and then a double dose of pennant bowls Sat/Sun I shall dig out the paper work that is relevant to this and post on here with my personal details obscured. Also, here is a cut and paste of a link to an article a couple of inches below where you stopped googling which I haven’t read but it references 1984. It is time for me to ablute in preparation for day two at Kukerin,. TTFN.


https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary…/StateHouseAgree

1 Like