Melbourne businesses have been slugged with yet another business tax – the $38 million per annum long-term car-park levy. The levy claws back some of the $65 million in business tax cuts announced by the Government on Wednesday.
“This is a cynical grab for cash in the wake of GST negotiations,” said the Property Council’s Victorian Executive Director Jennifer Cunich.
“Just days ago the Government was offering to remove inefficient state taxes, and here we have a new one dumped on us to replace some of that lost revenue.
“The Property Council supports increased public transport patronage, but doesn’t believe that the car-parking levy will help achieve this outcome.
“We fail to see how this new tax will actually free up more short-term car-spaces, alleviate congestion and encourage public transport patronage.
“Our understanding is that similar experiments in Sydney and Perth have failed to deliver these outcomes.
“To ask CBD-based businesses to foot the bill is an arbitrary hit on an easy target.
“Congestion is a metropolitan issue which won’t be solved by targeting office workers and their employers.
“This isn’t about car parking, it’s about tax revenue.”
When
Linking Melbourne was released the Property Council called on the State Government to get serious about funding public transport infrastructure through debt and public-private partnerships.
