QLD is building a border crossing highway for NSW, so NSW is trying to milk it for all it's worth and is charging QLD for the priviledge. The NSW government has for years tried to screw money out of the main North-South arterial road by funnelling a 110 km/h freeway into a 60 km/h shopping district.

Qld govt seething over NSW tax bill

http://news.smh.com.au/national/qld-govt-seething-over-nsw-tax-bill-20080518-2fjx.html

The Queensland government is seething after receiving a tax bill from the NSW government for the construction of a Gold coast bypass which crosses the state border.

Premier Anna Bligh attacked the NSW Treasury on Sunday over a $235,607.40 land tax bill for properties purchased by the Queensland government in NSW for the construction of the Tugun bypass.

Ms Bligh said she was appalled her NSW counterparts would issue a tax bill after failing to contribute any money to the bypass, which she said benefited residents on both sides of the border.

The seven kilometre bypass cost $534 million, including $120 million in funding from the federal government; the remainder of the cost is borne by the Queensland Government.

"I'm flabbergasted that the NSW Government did not contribute one red cent to the Tugun Bypass which helps their residents as much as Queenslanders and then has the front to slug Queenslanders for tax," she said in a statement.

Buggered if I know what Bligh is bitching about.  I guess it's the same in NSW as it is in Qld.  If you own land beyond a certain unimproved value, you are liable for land tax.

So, the Qld Government owns land in NSW beyond that certain value, whatever that value is.

So, why ought they not pay up as the Law requires, just like the Law requires of other land-owners holding property of that same unimproved value?

Local SEQ TV showed footage of Bligh tearing up the land tax invoice as she told NSW that they had Buckleys.

poo, I wonder whether I will be let off paying Bligh some land tax she wants from me by simply tearing up HER Government's bill???

What the Queensland premier has so quickly forgotten is that NSW loses $3 billion plus dollars in GST revenue a year to Qld and Tasmania.  While Anna Bligh is whinging about a measly half billion dollars, they would have easily received quadruple that via the GST.

Aussie, the QLD government only owns the land because they are building a freeway for NSW. It's like charging the meals on wheels lady to enter your property.

Mantra, whatever disparity the federal government introduces, perpetuating these stupid border conflicts is only going to make the situation worse, not better. Heaven forbid we return to the dark old days of taxes at the state border.

FD said:


Quote:

Aussie, the QLD government only owns the land because they are building a freeway for NSW. It's like charging the meals on wheels lady to enter your property.

Poor analogy.

The Law is simple.....if you or me or the Qld Government own land in NSW beyond a certain unimproved value, you, by Law, are liable for land tax.

It matters not what my, or your or their motive was in becoming the owner of that land.

Bligh will pay.

Since when is the QLD government a subject of NSW?

This isn't about what is technically legal anyway. It's about NSW parasitising a construction project funded by the QLD government.

freediver wrote on May 18^th, 2008 at 9:07pm:

Since when is the QLD government a subject of NSW? This isn't about what is technically legal anyway. It's about NSW parasitising a construction project funded by the QLD government.

Well, the QLD Government is just as subject to the jurisdiction of NSW as I am.  I am a Queenslander, and if I am in NSW, I am subject to NSW Laws........their traffic, criminal, commercial, land tax etc etc etc...Laws.

It matters not why I am in NSW, or why I.....or the QLD Government...own land in that State.

This is a stuff up on QLD's part.  They overlooked the obligation of a landowner in NSW to pay land tax, if they own land beyond a certain unimproved value.

Bligh must pay up.   The NSW Government has a 'Rule of Law' obligation to pursue the QLD Government to ensure it submits to NSW Law, just like I have to when I am there.

So what will they do? Put QLD in jail? Ban QLD from building them a free road? Why is the analogy of charging the meal on wheels lady to enter your property a bad analogy? It is also perfectly legal to charge people an entrance fee, and the meals on wheels people would either have to pay up or not deliver you your free goods.

This is a low act. They even waited till the project was well underway, then charged them 5 years worth of back taxes. Kind of like writing down every time the meals on wheels lady enter your property, then sending them the bill after it has been accruing for five years.

From the article:

The tax bill relates to five years worth of land tax assessments from 16 properties in the Tweed Shire purchased by Queensland's Department of Main Roads in 2001 to allow the development to go ahead.

freediver wrote on May 18^th, 2008 at 9:34pm:

So what will they do? Put QLD in jail? Ban QLD from building them a free road? Why is the analogy of charging the meal on wheels lady to enter your property a bad analogy? It is also perfectly legal to charge people an entrance fee, and the meals on wheels people would either have to pay up or not deliver you your free goods.

No, they will not, because they cannot put QLD in jail.

The NSW Government will recover this due debt from the QLD Government just like every other creditor does....................through due civil debt recovery process.

It's all very simple stuff, DT.

freediver wrote on May 18^th, 2008 at 9:39pm:

This is a low act. They even waited till the project was well underway, then charged them 5 years worth of back taxes. Kind of like writing down every time the meals on wheels lady enter your property, then sending them the bill after it has been accruing for five years. From the article: The tax bill relates to five years worth of land tax assessments from 16 properties in the Tweed Shire purchased by Queensland's Department of Main Roads in 2001 to allow the development to go ahead.

Well, the QLD Government has probably been receiving land tax invoices from the NSW Government since 2002.

FD....this is merely bureaucracy doing it's data base thing as a matter of course.

So NSW charging QLD $200000 for the right to build them a free highway is a 'bureacracy thing'? How is this a 'matter of course'? Do states regularly build freeways for neighbouring states even if they refuse to pay their part? It was an act of bastardry to even make the QLD government buy the land.

freediver wrote on May 18^th, 2008 at 9:59pm:

So NSW charging QLD $200000 for the right to build them a free highway is a 'bureacracy thing'? How is this a 'matter of course'? Do states regularly build freeways for neighbouring states even if they refuse to pay their part? It was an act of bastardry to even make the QLD government buy the land.

I am not debating that.  

If you, or I or DT, or Frogen, or Joe the Jerk or whoever, including the State of Queensland own land in NSW (irrespective of the motive in doing so) to such an extent that the public servants BY LAW act to recover Land Tax, then you pay......and they have many means available.

I'd just love to execute civil debt recovery proceedings against the State of Queensland!!!!!

Simple.

That is beside the point Aussie. It will obviously be up to the NSW government, not some bureaucrat, to enforce the law. They can hardly complain that they are bound by laws of their own making.

At least, I hope the NSW government isn't slimy enough to hide behind it's bureaucrats and red tape and pretend it isn't their problem, but the signs are not good so far.