1 00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:03,520 Speaker 1: My name is Lily Maddon and I'm a proud Arunda 2 00:00:03,760 --> 00:00:08,520 Speaker 1: Bungelung Cargoton woman from Gadighal Country. The Daily oz acknowledges 3 00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:10,800 Speaker 1: that this podcast is recorded on the lands of the 4 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:14,360 Speaker 1: Gadighl people and pays respect to all Aboriginal and Torres 5 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:17,279 Speaker 1: Strait Island and nations. We pay our respects to the 6 00:00:17,320 --> 00:00:20,079 Speaker 1: first peoples of these countries, both past and present. 7 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:28,320 Speaker 2: Good morning and welcome to the Daily Oas. Happy Friday. 8 00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:31,639 Speaker 2: It's the twenty second of September. I'm Zara, I'm nina 9 00:00:32,040 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 2: in an Australian first. The Victorian government this week announced 10 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:38,760 Speaker 2: a new tax on airbnb. It's part of the state 11 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:41,720 Speaker 2: government's brought a plan to tackle the rental crisis. 12 00:00:41,880 --> 00:00:44,880 Speaker 3: So that is definitely about dealing with more housing choices 13 00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:47,360 Speaker 3: and more supply and better stock for those who need 14 00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:48,120 Speaker 3: it needed much. 15 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:50,280 Speaker 2: So will this move help to ease the pressure on 16 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:54,160 Speaker 2: the rental market or could it dampen Victoria's tourism revenue. 17 00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:56,640 Speaker 2: We're going to discuss it in the deep dive. But first, 18 00:00:57,000 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 2: COVID haven't spoken about that for a while. 19 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:03,240 Speaker 4: Mister Anthony Albanesi has announced an inquiry into the federal 20 00:01:03,280 --> 00:01:07,240 Speaker 4: government's COVID nineteen response. The inquiry will examine the government's 21 00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 4: efforts to limit the spread of COVID nineteen to inform 22 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:13,880 Speaker 4: approaches for future pandemics. The Opposition has criticized the PM's 23 00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:16,880 Speaker 4: decision to not investigate the actions of state and territory 24 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:20,320 Speaker 4: governments in this investigation. A final report will be submitted 25 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:21,480 Speaker 4: in September next year. 26 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:25,520 Speaker 2: A record number of ossie's have enrolled to vote for 27 00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:30,480 Speaker 2: the upcoming Indigenous Voice referendum. Ninety seven point seven percent 28 00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:34,040 Speaker 2: of eligible Australians are now on the electoral roll, which 29 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:37,000 Speaker 2: is an increase of almost half a million people from 30 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:40,760 Speaker 2: last year's federal election. Enrollment closed on Monday night ahead 31 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:43,280 Speaker 2: of the referendum on the fourteenth of October. 32 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:47,039 Speaker 4: UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has walked back his country's 33 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:50,400 Speaker 4: climate change targets. A ban on petrol and diesel cars 34 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:53,080 Speaker 4: will now come into place in twenty thirty five rather 35 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:55,680 Speaker 4: than twenty thirty, while a phase out of gas hitters 36 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:58,600 Speaker 4: in holmes has also been pushed back. Sunak said the 37 00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:01,480 Speaker 4: changes would ease the burden on British people, but insisted 38 00:02:01,520 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 4: it wouldn't stop the UK from reaching net zero emissions 39 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:05,600 Speaker 4: by twenty fifty. 40 00:02:06,360 --> 00:02:09,680 Speaker 2: And the good news, AFLW players are getting a twenty 41 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:13,400 Speaker 2: nine percent pay rise, effective immediately after a new collective 42 00:02:13,440 --> 00:02:17,800 Speaker 2: bargaining agreement was finalized on Thursday. The five year agreement 43 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:20,919 Speaker 2: will see the AFLW season increase from ten to twelve 44 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 2: rounds in twenty twenty five, before potentially rising to fourteen 45 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:30,320 Speaker 2: rounds in twenty twenty seven. The Victorian government has announced 46 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:33,800 Speaker 2: a new tax on the companies that run short term rentals, 47 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:36,880 Speaker 2: which Premier Daniel Andrews says will help to ease the 48 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:41,360 Speaker 2: rental crisis. And while this particular case is an Australian first, 49 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:44,880 Speaker 2: it comes as jurisdictions around the world are starting to 50 00:02:44,880 --> 00:02:47,480 Speaker 2: figure out how they can impose limits on short term 51 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:49,200 Speaker 2: rental services like Airbnb. 52 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:52,280 Speaker 4: I think this story is so interesting because as long 53 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:54,880 Speaker 4: as I can remember, as long as I've been traveling, 54 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:57,400 Speaker 4: Airbnb has kind of been my. 55 00:02:57,600 --> 00:03:01,080 Speaker 2: Go to I don't know, haven't stayed in a hotel. 56 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:04,240 Speaker 4: It just seems like something that has become part of 57 00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:07,960 Speaker 4: the norm for our generation. Definitely, but there definitely seems 58 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:11,360 Speaker 4: to be this move towards governments limiting the way they operate. 59 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:13,800 Speaker 4: So I'm really keen to chat about what's happening and 60 00:03:13,840 --> 00:03:16,000 Speaker 4: what it's going to mean for us going off into 61 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:19,400 Speaker 4: the world, Sarah. But first let's start at home. What's 62 00:03:19,440 --> 00:03:20,960 Speaker 4: been announced in Victoria this week. 63 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:24,720 Speaker 2: So the Victorian government has announced a seven point five 64 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:29,040 Speaker 2: percent tax on money that's made by short stay housing platforms, 65 00:03:29,120 --> 00:03:32,800 Speaker 2: so things like Airbnb. Premier Daniel Andrews said that this 66 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:35,880 Speaker 2: would apply to around thirty six thousand properties in the 67 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:39,160 Speaker 2: state and that this new tax would raise about seventy 68 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:42,160 Speaker 2: million dollars a year, and of course that's because anytime 69 00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:46,000 Speaker 2: tax is raised, it goes to the government. In this case, though, 70 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:48,160 Speaker 2: the government has said that the money will be given 71 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:52,120 Speaker 2: to a government agency called Homes Victoria, and that is 72 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:55,560 Speaker 2: a body that is responsible for maintaining social housing. And 73 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:57,600 Speaker 2: we've spoken about social housing a bit because of the 74 00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:01,240 Speaker 2: government's Housing Bill, but social housing is basically housing that 75 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:04,840 Speaker 2: is delivered by governments and we know that figures indicate 76 00:04:04,880 --> 00:04:08,040 Speaker 2: that there's a large national shortage of social housing. So 77 00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:10,840 Speaker 2: this is the government's attempt to raise money to fund 78 00:04:10,880 --> 00:04:14,560 Speaker 2: social housing and also hopefully help with the rental crisis. 79 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:16,800 Speaker 2: The new tax, though that we heard about from the 80 00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:19,440 Speaker 2: Victorian government this week will only come into effect from 81 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:20,280 Speaker 2: twenty twenty five. 82 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:23,720 Speaker 4: So you've already raised quite a lot there. You're talking about. 83 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:26,320 Speaker 2: My head hurts, you're my own voice. 84 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:30,400 Speaker 4: You're talking about social housing, you're talking about pressure on 85 00:04:30,440 --> 00:04:33,080 Speaker 4: the rental market, you're talking about short term rentals. How 86 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:34,680 Speaker 4: do all of these things come together? 87 00:04:34,839 --> 00:04:36,680 Speaker 2: Look, I think a lot of people that are listening 88 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:38,880 Speaker 2: don't need an explanation about what's going on in the 89 00:04:38,880 --> 00:04:43,080 Speaker 2: rental market because most of us are experiencing it firsthand. 90 00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:47,360 Speaker 2: But essentially, it is extremely challenging to find an affordable 91 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:51,480 Speaker 2: rental right now in many parts of the country. And 92 00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:55,159 Speaker 2: so what the connection there to a company like Airbnb 93 00:04:55,400 --> 00:04:57,960 Speaker 2: is is that there's actually research that shows that the 94 00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:00,719 Speaker 2: more short term rentals there are in the market, the 95 00:05:00,839 --> 00:05:03,839 Speaker 2: less long term properties there are available. So people that 96 00:05:03,920 --> 00:05:07,040 Speaker 2: are looking for housing and not for a holiday are 97 00:05:07,200 --> 00:05:10,760 Speaker 2: struggling to find places to stay because those places are 98 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:13,599 Speaker 2: being used for holiday makers or for people that want 99 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:17,040 Speaker 2: those short term rentals. So in a press conference this week, 100 00:05:17,200 --> 00:05:20,279 Speaker 2: Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said that this new tax on 101 00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:23,760 Speaker 2: short term rentals was to make up for less houses 102 00:05:23,839 --> 00:05:25,680 Speaker 2: being available on the rental market. 103 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:30,200 Speaker 3: I just again stress every single dollar that is raised 104 00:05:30,240 --> 00:05:33,000 Speaker 3: by that seven dollars fifty per one hundred dollars paid 105 00:05:33,600 --> 00:05:39,080 Speaker 3: will be sent to homes Victoria to up to maintain 106 00:05:39,360 --> 00:05:43,719 Speaker 3: housing and build new housing. So it's a direct link 107 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:46,720 Speaker 3: between a group of homes that can't be leased out 108 00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:50,400 Speaker 3: and aren't being leased out long term and those who can. 109 00:05:50,279 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 4: Be What kind of response has there been to Andrew's announcement. 110 00:05:54,279 --> 00:05:56,200 Speaker 4: Has he faced criticism for this decision? 111 00:05:56,240 --> 00:05:59,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean it's an interesting one because he, as 112 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:01,480 Speaker 2: I said, this is the first Australian jurisdiction to do 113 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:04,160 Speaker 2: anything like this, so it is an interesting one to 114 00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:07,719 Speaker 2: keep an eye on. The Victorian opposition has criticized the 115 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:11,520 Speaker 2: airbnb tax and they've labeled it a holiday and tourism tax. 116 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:14,880 Speaker 2: So we heard from Sam Groth, who's the shadow Tourism Minister, 117 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:18,120 Speaker 2: and he said that this tax will make Victoria a 118 00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:22,680 Speaker 2: less attractive destination for international and interstate visitors and that 119 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:25,520 Speaker 2: it would make it more expensive for Victorians to travel 120 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:28,880 Speaker 2: away on the weekends. So his argument being that less 121 00:06:28,920 --> 00:06:31,520 Speaker 2: airbnb means less tourism to the state. 122 00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:33,719 Speaker 4: And I'm sure there are plenty of people who rent 123 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:36,599 Speaker 4: out as airbnb hosts who might take issue with this, 124 00:06:37,160 --> 00:06:40,159 Speaker 4: and local businesses that might see the potential of them 125 00:06:40,200 --> 00:06:41,000 Speaker 4: losing revenue. 126 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:41,960 Speaker 2: Definitely. 127 00:06:42,279 --> 00:06:44,880 Speaker 4: Is there a precedent for this though? Have other jurisdictions 128 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:46,880 Speaker 4: tried You said, it hasn't happened in Australia, but hasn't 129 00:06:46,880 --> 00:06:48,120 Speaker 4: happened anywhere in the world. 130 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:51,320 Speaker 2: Well, there's been a really interesting development in New York 131 00:06:51,360 --> 00:06:54,320 Speaker 2: this month which completely changes the way that short term 132 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:57,520 Speaker 2: rentals like Airbnb can actually operate there, and I'd say 133 00:06:57,560 --> 00:07:00,159 Speaker 2: it's a far more dramatic move than we've seen here 134 00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:03,520 Speaker 2: in Australia. But basically, these new rules in New York 135 00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:05,680 Speaker 2: mean that in order to rent out your property or 136 00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:09,560 Speaker 2: on Airbnb, you need to actually live there. So gone 137 00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:12,160 Speaker 2: of the days where you can rent out an entire 138 00:07:12,240 --> 00:07:14,800 Speaker 2: person's home, you never have to have the awkward running 139 00:07:14,840 --> 00:07:17,360 Speaker 2: with them and you just like live in their home. 140 00:07:17,640 --> 00:07:20,240 Speaker 2: So you wouldn't be able to rent an entire apartment 141 00:07:20,280 --> 00:07:23,440 Speaker 2: all to yourself. Essentially, if you're booking an Airbnb, the 142 00:07:23,480 --> 00:07:25,280 Speaker 2: owner would have to live there too, and you'd have 143 00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:29,080 Speaker 2: to share those common spaces. And the reason behind that 144 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:32,240 Speaker 2: is that officials in New York are saying that Hopefully 145 00:07:32,280 --> 00:07:35,080 Speaker 2: this would mean that more properties are returned to the 146 00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:37,559 Speaker 2: kind of long term rental market and people can actually 147 00:07:37,640 --> 00:07:40,280 Speaker 2: access those long term rentals more easily if they're not 148 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:41,800 Speaker 2: all on Airbnb for example. 149 00:07:41,920 --> 00:07:44,280 Speaker 4: So the apartments that would have been sitting empty between 150 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:46,400 Speaker 4: short term rentals are now going to go back to 151 00:07:46,400 --> 00:07:47,840 Speaker 4: people who live in a locals. 152 00:07:47,880 --> 00:07:49,720 Speaker 2: Well, that's what they're hoping to achieve to. 153 00:07:49,600 --> 00:07:52,960 Speaker 4: Come back to Australia. We've spoken about one element the 154 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:55,840 Speaker 4: Victorian government announced this week, which is short term rentals. 155 00:07:56,080 --> 00:07:57,480 Speaker 4: What else did they announce. 156 00:07:57,600 --> 00:08:00,679 Speaker 2: Yeah, so they're identifying that that could be one issue 157 00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:03,200 Speaker 2: in the rental market, but that there are other issues 158 00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:07,600 Speaker 2: as well. So the government announced a full package basically 159 00:08:07,640 --> 00:08:10,640 Speaker 2: to tackle the rental crisis, and it included a number 160 00:08:10,640 --> 00:08:14,000 Speaker 2: of rule changes for renters and landlords in the state. 161 00:08:14,240 --> 00:08:18,360 Speaker 2: So landlords who evict a tenant after an initial twelve 162 00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:21,880 Speaker 2: month lease expires won't be able to charge more rent 163 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:24,320 Speaker 2: to the next tenant, so you can't be kicking someone 164 00:08:24,360 --> 00:08:28,120 Speaker 2: out just to get more rent in the future. Landlords 165 00:08:28,160 --> 00:08:30,880 Speaker 2: will also be required to give ninety days notice of 166 00:08:31,040 --> 00:08:35,200 Speaker 2: rent increases and evictions, and the government's also made it 167 00:08:35,240 --> 00:08:38,599 Speaker 2: an offense for landlords to accept bids above a property's 168 00:08:38,679 --> 00:08:42,120 Speaker 2: advertised rental price. So it's a practice we call rent bidding. 169 00:08:42,160 --> 00:08:43,960 Speaker 2: I think we've spoken about it on the Pod before 170 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:45,560 Speaker 2: in the New South Wales setting. 171 00:08:45,800 --> 00:08:48,960 Speaker 4: I remember when we were doing that episode. The rules 172 00:08:48,960 --> 00:08:52,280 Speaker 4: at the time was that there was legislation in many 173 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:55,520 Speaker 4: of the states and territories to stop real estate agents 174 00:08:55,520 --> 00:08:58,160 Speaker 4: from asking people to bid or increase the price of 175 00:08:58,160 --> 00:09:00,640 Speaker 4: a property, but it was still a loud that you 176 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:02,679 Speaker 4: could offer them more than was advertised exactly. 177 00:09:02,760 --> 00:09:04,640 Speaker 2: So the aim is that this new rule will be 178 00:09:04,679 --> 00:09:08,640 Speaker 2: able to stop that. Alongside this, rental applications will also 179 00:09:08,679 --> 00:09:12,040 Speaker 2: be standardized to limit the level of detail that landlords 180 00:09:12,120 --> 00:09:16,160 Speaker 2: can ask prospective tenants to provide, which anyone that's filling 181 00:09:16,200 --> 00:09:19,640 Speaker 2: out an application has experienced insane YEA, why do they 182 00:09:19,640 --> 00:09:24,680 Speaker 2: need my father's first bonds, sons, brothers, cousins, name, So 183 00:09:24,760 --> 00:09:27,040 Speaker 2: that is part of the package as well. Then finally 184 00:09:27,040 --> 00:09:30,160 Speaker 2: there's this thing about bonds. So bonds are going to 185 00:09:30,200 --> 00:09:33,640 Speaker 2: become portable, and that essentially means that tenants can carry 186 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:36,720 Speaker 2: a bond amount over from one property to another when 187 00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:39,080 Speaker 2: they're moving, so that they don't end up having to 188 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:40,160 Speaker 2: pay a double bond. 189 00:09:40,320 --> 00:09:42,120 Speaker 4: So the thing with all of this is you can 190 00:09:42,200 --> 00:09:45,760 Speaker 4: make the process of getting a rental easier for renters, 191 00:09:46,080 --> 00:09:47,760 Speaker 4: but at the end of the day, if the issue 192 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:51,160 Speaker 4: is supply, you still need to build more houses. So 193 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:54,480 Speaker 4: what has the Victorian government said about addressing the issue there? 194 00:09:55,000 --> 00:09:58,760 Speaker 2: Well, the government plans to build eighty thousand houses a 195 00:09:58,880 --> 00:10:02,000 Speaker 2: year over the next decad To meet this target, they've 196 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:06,440 Speaker 2: identified ten priority areas for higher density, so for all 197 00:10:06,440 --> 00:10:11,800 Speaker 2: our Victorian listeners, these places include Camberwell Junction, Chadstone, Frankston, 198 00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:15,800 Speaker 2: Ringwood and Preston's High Street. There are also plans to 199 00:10:15,840 --> 00:10:19,520 Speaker 2: sell forty five publicly owned land sites to facilitate more 200 00:10:19,559 --> 00:10:22,040 Speaker 2: new builds, which will include some affordable housing. 201 00:10:22,160 --> 00:10:24,080 Speaker 4: And what are the next steps with this? What's going 202 00:10:24,160 --> 00:10:24,720 Speaker 4: to happen now? 203 00:10:24,880 --> 00:10:27,760 Speaker 2: So important to know that it's still early days. As 204 00:10:27,760 --> 00:10:30,880 Speaker 2: I said, the Victorian government only announced this policy for 205 00:10:30,920 --> 00:10:33,960 Speaker 2: the first time this week, but legislation will then have 206 00:10:34,040 --> 00:10:36,160 Speaker 2: to be drafted up, it will have to pass through 207 00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:39,120 Speaker 2: Parliament and then it will if it passes, become law. 208 00:10:39,280 --> 00:10:41,360 Speaker 2: So this is a matter of kind of watching to 209 00:10:41,400 --> 00:10:44,400 Speaker 2: see what happens and seeing if other jurisdictions around the 210 00:10:44,400 --> 00:10:46,040 Speaker 2: country will follow suit. 211 00:10:48,480 --> 00:10:50,600 Speaker 4: Thank you so much for listening to the podcast today. 212 00:10:50,679 --> 00:10:59,280 Speaker 4: We'll be back again on Monday. Have an excellent weekend.