Property prices appear to be flittering ever downwards in the capital cities on the mainland. But Tasmanian property prices steam irrecoverably forward. General consensus has it that the mainlanders are coming in masses to the moderate temperatures of the apple isle.
Now how close are these climate refugees to pricing Tasmanians out of the housing market? Regrettably, when temperatures soar on the mainland to 40 something degrees and Tas can boast a calm 27, migration appear unstoppable.
So what can be done.
Initially, some Tas government movement is essential into the avenues of marketing and information.
First of all, perhaps a little camouflage of TV weather forecast might be in order. Now over the years Tasmanians might well be offended when they notice maps of Australia and low and behold the apple isle is … not included. This could well be a solution to the weather maps. Now ABC Chanel 24 is not doing a bad job of hiding Tasmanian weather as the hot item banners at the bottom of the screen frequently roll over and hide the southern state. Now surely those cash strapped commercial TV stations might just be persuaded to move the TV camera up or simply delete Tasmania?
Luckily only Melbourne and Sydney markets need to have this little doctoring of the weather forecasts as clearly mainland regional areas very shortly will not have enough funds from regional house sales as Tassie property prices sore.
If weather map exclusions don’t work, the State government should be a little more proactive. Perhaps some stories on the wonderful weather of the south island of NZ. A few graphs of cool summers, plus stunning beaches and relatively inexpensive real estate. Might interest some of the city climate change refugees.
Perhaps another approach might be the mainlander tax on property purchase, something along the lines of the Foreign Investment Review Board, which nationally, supposedly regulates real estate purchases by foreign citizens. A hefty tax on mainlander purchases in TAS might just deter a few buyers!
Potentially this might be a nice little earner and perhaps something like ninety percent of the profits could be headed off to building public housing.
Now of course we don’t want the best of the state relentlessly bought up by the rich of Melbourne and Sydney. This might result in a rash of rich white trash with slick accents occupying the best houses, restaurant tables, boards etc. So there really need to be border vigilance alerting Tasmanians when such mainlanders arrive in the southern state with dollars signs and purchase smiles on their faces.
Every air port and naval port should install a Sargent Shultz figure, probably that stalwart conservative Eric Abetz is the most favorable candidate for the dignified and important position, namely to remind mainlanders that this is Tasmanian land.
So every port could be provided with a cardboard cutout of Senator Eric Abetz, dressed in black jodhpurs and shiny leather jacket, perhaps a little gold braid, something akin to Tony Abbott’s border police uniforms. The Senator’s voice, on say a twenty second relay, could proclaim sternly: ‘we will say who come to our state’ followed by a pause and then in a deep voice, ‘and who buys property’. Perhaps a mechanized cardboard arm could be raised to arrest the holiday stroll of rich property purchasers?
A possible fix of the problem??
Josephine Zananiri lives in the Independent electorate of Indi and currently works in the manual labour arena tending native and exotic trees, so has plenty of time to think. Followed everywhere by her two dogs Percy and Fino who generally agree on all subjects, only occasionally deserting the conversation in the chase for samba deer!
