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Ingram welcomes land tax exemptions, but calls for wider concessionsThe Member for Gippsland East, Craig Ingram, has welcomed the State Government’s exemptions on land tax for caravan parks and has called on the Treasurer to provide concessions to other tourism businesses in coastal areas. By Craig Ingram - 7th December 2004 - Back to News "The escalation of coastal land prices has caused extreme hardship on coastal camping parks and other businesses," Mr Ingram said.
"The decision by the government will allow park businesses to keep operating as the tax bills were starting to force business into making the decision of changing land use or selling out.
"The government now needs to apply the same decision to other coastal businesses that are being crippled by land tax.
"For example the Metung Pub, which is sited on some of East Gippsland’s most valuable real estate, is facing the same land tax burden.
"The hotel is an institution on the Gippsland Lakes, and other like similar businesses, needs the same consideration and protection by government.
We don’t want our entire lakes foreshore and coastal areas developed into Gold Coast-style multi-story units, which is about the only land use that can justify the current and future land tax costs.
"The government needs to address land tax for businesses operating on high value coastal land to assist in preserving the character of these towns," Mr Ingram concluded.
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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