Land tax
David LIMBRICK (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (09:42): My office has been contacted by several people who recently received the bill shock of their life. Without any explanation, land tax bills that were typically $20,000 or $30,000 last year are now more than $100,000. Last week I visited Dandenong at the invitation of the South East Melbourne Manufacturers Alliance and heard from a number of people who are wondering whether Victoria is a place where you can make anything anymore. We heard that 74 per cent will need to increase their prices to pay massive land tax bills and more than 30 per cent will need to lay off staff. Many of these manufacturers make materials for houses and government projects. No wonder the cost of everything is going up. Forget about supermarkets; it is time for governments to end tax gouging.