10-26-2020, 04:08 PM
Outrage, with it’s implicit righteousness, is an all too common feature in politics designed as it is to provoke an emotional response. Morrison’s ridiculous venting over Christine Holgate’s gifting of watches a case in point. Had they been given bonus shares or a holiday package doubtful if an eyebrow would have been raised. Never mind that Government has created AusPost as a semi private business with independent management and encouraged it to operate in a thoroughly commercial manner. Its a fact if life that exceptional management people are highly paid. Like it or not our freedom and high standard of living depends on free exchange and that includes a market for talent as well as goods and services. Ms. Holgate’s only sin was not realising how small minds love to cut down tall poppies.
But turn to Aviation and the $33 million land purchase for the Western Sydney airport, and the criticism of that when some say it’s true value was $3 million. I won’t criticise McDonaught in this case because no doubt acting true to his General Aviation ‘nom d’affection,’ because he probably accepted the advice given by his Department. This being his default position and (he erroneously thinks) the safest option.
I believe we will find that the basis of differing valuation will certainly boil down to the operation or interpretation of the zoning laws pertaining to the land in question.
Land zoning is a body of anti free enterprise law, euphemistically known as ‘planning,’ which was transplanted from the UK in the 60s and 70s on the basis that the system would create a new and more wondrous civilisation. Instead it has slowly strangled much of our activities being a system of state government control over private land use, subject the whim of government and it’s massively expensive ‘planning’ apparatus. The lost opportunity costs since then would be staggering.
The effect of state based land use control has created artificially high land values in some areas and depressed them in others. The Sydney airport land may have a low value if restricted to a low value by area commerce like farming but a very high value if given residential zoning. Leased Commonwealth airports like Bankstown and Moorabbin are being inappropriately developed partly because of the very restrictive zoning land use law. Try getting a privately owned airport up and running. Be prepared to spend a lot of money, even existing private airports are under attack, for example Tyabb. In other words in most cases, even in rural areas, don’t bother. In Victoria you even need a zoning permit to land a helicopter on your own private property.
How to tie these themes together? There’s a mindset we can change, all too often one hears “there should be a law against that!” Next thing you know there it is. All governments can be much about power money and jobs for mates, or are subject to those pressures. They are surrounded by the urging from loud voices and subtle practitioners of persuasion. It’s up to us to make our voices heard, we should be asking for at least some immediate GA reforms while the Senate Committee deliberates. Some are so obvious like the sensible and proven medical fitness to fly standards of the low weight RAAUS rules. Do away with Cessna special inspections on private aircraft. Independent instructors as per the USA and at least some extra validity on the infamous ASIC ‘security’ card. Couple those measures with a total moratorium on any further inappropriate land use on existing airports and the whole of GA would get the shot in the arm it so badly needs.
But turn to Aviation and the $33 million land purchase for the Western Sydney airport, and the criticism of that when some say it’s true value was $3 million. I won’t criticise McDonaught in this case because no doubt acting true to his General Aviation ‘nom d’affection,’ because he probably accepted the advice given by his Department. This being his default position and (he erroneously thinks) the safest option.
I believe we will find that the basis of differing valuation will certainly boil down to the operation or interpretation of the zoning laws pertaining to the land in question.
Land zoning is a body of anti free enterprise law, euphemistically known as ‘planning,’ which was transplanted from the UK in the 60s and 70s on the basis that the system would create a new and more wondrous civilisation. Instead it has slowly strangled much of our activities being a system of state government control over private land use, subject the whim of government and it’s massively expensive ‘planning’ apparatus. The lost opportunity costs since then would be staggering.
The effect of state based land use control has created artificially high land values in some areas and depressed them in others. The Sydney airport land may have a low value if restricted to a low value by area commerce like farming but a very high value if given residential zoning. Leased Commonwealth airports like Bankstown and Moorabbin are being inappropriately developed partly because of the very restrictive zoning land use law. Try getting a privately owned airport up and running. Be prepared to spend a lot of money, even existing private airports are under attack, for example Tyabb. In other words in most cases, even in rural areas, don’t bother. In Victoria you even need a zoning permit to land a helicopter on your own private property.
How to tie these themes together? There’s a mindset we can change, all too often one hears “there should be a law against that!” Next thing you know there it is. All governments can be much about power money and jobs for mates, or are subject to those pressures. They are surrounded by the urging from loud voices and subtle practitioners of persuasion. It’s up to us to make our voices heard, we should be asking for at least some immediate GA reforms while the Senate Committee deliberates. Some are so obvious like the sensible and proven medical fitness to fly standards of the low weight RAAUS rules. Do away with Cessna special inspections on private aircraft. Independent instructors as per the USA and at least some extra validity on the infamous ASIC ‘security’ card. Couple those measures with a total moratorium on any further inappropriate land use on existing airports and the whole of GA would get the shot in the arm it so badly needs.