Comments on: Flood Levy : For or Against?

By: Phil

Phil — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 05:32:35 +0000

What I don’t like is that the government seems to be reluctant to dip into the overseas aid fund and I know it sounds selfish but if there was a disaster in a foreign country tomorrow would it be right to give them a wad of cash from that fund while our own citizens are struggling.

By: Craig

Craig — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 12:31:46 +0000

Its something you are always going to struggle with and you have my deepest sympathy from over here in the UK.

Although the banking crisis is in noway comparable to the disaster that you have and still are by all accounts going through, the lack of forsight from people in authoritive positions has put the UK in a position where the UK tax payers is having to cover the mistakes of the major UK banks and previous goverments.

At the end of the day Australia is one nation and the only way the people affected are going to recover from this disaster is if people the entire nation bares the cost of the recovery.

Craig

By: river

river — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 10:11:32 +0000

I agree with Kelli here about our taxes being mismanaged and infrastructure being ignored.
If a dam and pipeline levy were to be implemented I’d pay, but I’d want to be seeing some results pretty quickly. Of course I realise these things would take time to build, but if I didn’t see any dams or pipes in 5-10 years I’d be pretty pissed off and wonder just where my money was going.
Like the River Murray levy, which seems to have gone to pay consultants and bureaucrats, while the Murray still struggles.

By: Beet

Beet — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 07:46:45 +0000

I’m like you. No question about the idea of the levy per se, but lots of questions about how it’s going to be distributed and managed, and if the government will be responsible with it.

By: Kelli

Kelli — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 08:57:14 +0000

While I don’t think the amount to pay is a big issue - not going to put me in the poor house or anything like that, I do have to question the management of the taxes we already pay to the government. And the governments job, and why we pay tax, is to look after infrastructure. I know this is bigger than normal and at one time, but surely it will be bringing forward some things that would have been needed in the future.

Living in the government heartland of Canberra, the government waste is clear to be seen - there are so many big big beaurocracies here. A lot of public servants do work hard, but there is a lot of systemic rorting of employment conditions (go back to work for 3 months, before you get your next 6 months on half pay paid mat leave??? Switching from part time to full time work a few months before you go on mat leave???) and waste in all government departments. At one stage the dept of defence couldn’t even find some of their big ticket assets!

Also the governments track record on managing big projects hasn’t been too great - insulation? school buildings?

I completely lack confidence in the government to be able to manage the funds they raise through the levy effectively and efficiently - that is my biggest gripe against the whole idea.

By: Jodi

Jodi — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 08:14:57 +0000

For.

No questions asked or needed. It’s about $10 a week for us (I think, if those tables are right). That’s less than I spend on coffee each week. That’s less than the packet of cigarettes the bloke doesn’t realise I know he buys each week. That’s less than half the Transformer the kid desperately wants… In the scheme of things, it’s nothing. We can afford it. We can also manage the increase in vegie costs (although the wastage is already doing ma head in - the stuff we’re buying NOW isn’t lasting us a week, and shopping for F&V more often than weekly is not really possible)

And yes, we are a land of floods and fires - there will be more floods and more fires and some floods and fires (and some pestilence as well, I imagine). More dams and more pipes makes sense - but they also need to be funded. Maybe a dam levy as well (or a damn levy…)

By: river

river — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 07:16:19 +0000

I’m in two minds just like you. I don’t mind paying because the money is for a good cause and will help people rebuild their lives.
BUT, there wasn’t a levy suggested for the Victorian bushfire victims, or for any other recent disaster. And the River Murray levy has been paid into for years and was supposed to save the Murray, but hasn’t.
Also, we’ve been a country of droughts and flooding rains forever, yet no government will commit to the most sensible solution of building dams and other catchments all over the country and connecting all of them with giant pipelines so that when one area has flooding type rainfalls, the water can be directed to other drier parts of the countyr instead of being allowed to destroy towns, homes and lives. With dams and pipelines, all of Australia could have water. Unlimited water, since QLD annually has enough rainfall to supply the whole country. I read that somewhere in a newspaper once.