Winsome Anderson faced Planning Minister Justin Madden in Melbourne last week about the State Government’s proposed Growth Areas Infrastructure Charge.CLYDE farmer Winsome Anderson confronted Planning Minister Justin Madden last week about an infrastructure tax she says has ruined her retirement plans.
Ms Anderson, 73, braved the cold and made a pre-dawn trek to Melbourne last Tuesday to face Mr Madden as he arrived for a breakfast where he was the keynote speaker – on the theme of Melbourne @ 5 Million – at Tabcorp Park.
Under the State Government’s Growth Areas Infrastructure Charge (GAIC), Ms Anderson faces a bill of more than $2 million when she sells her land.
The proposed tax will charge landowners $95,000 per hectare when they sell if their land is brought into the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) this year.
An area of about 3800 hectares is being investigated in Casey to cater for Melbourne’s growing population, which includes Ms Anderson’s 26-hectare farm.
Ms Anderson got the chance to tell Mr Madden exactly what she thought of the GAIC tax.
“I got to say my bit,” she said.
Last month the News reported Ms Anderson as saying that her retirement plans were ruined because the tax forced her to “farm on”.
“There were many other people there of my vintage who were walking circles to keep warm and in sheer frustration saying, ‘I didn’t think I’d ever have to do this at my age’,” she said.
“It’s absolute discrimination.”
Ms Anderson has lived in the area for 50 years and said the tax robbed her of her right to retire after farming for so long.
“I’ve worked all my life on the land and I should be able to reap the benefits of retirement and not being on duty 24/7. I just wonder if Mr Brumby has ever calved a heifer in the middle of the night.”
The protestors called on Mr Madden to change the tax to be payable at the point of development, not the first point of sale as proposed.
