What about those who can't afford to keep one? If I were an ordinary pensioner without investments and savings, I couldn't afford to pay $6,633.71 in annual Council rates! (I receive TWO rate notices because the property is on several separate title deeds)
And it all happened in nine years: from annual rates of $3,157.78 (based on a total unimproved value of $695,000) in 2016, to annual rates of $6,633.71 (based on a total unimproved value of $2,637,000 in 2025).
(Add to this the quarterly $100.65 I have to pay for my permissive jetty licence, and I'm paying over $7,000 to live on my own piece of dirt!)
And not only the Council is cashing in on it, but the real estate agents who still charge the same 2-1/2% commission for the most expensive taxi ride in the world - "Jump in and I show you a property you may be interested in!" - and the various state governments who still charge from 1-1/2% to as much as 6% for rubber-stamping a few documents.
Owning a house may still the Australian dream, but only for the Councils, the real estate agents, and the various state governments.
