Fire levy, insurance, power costs to rise in Queensland

The Government had settled on a number of Budget measures which include:

• Changing the fire levy to an emergency management, fire and rescue levy, which will be applied to all rateable properties.  The levy will increase by 6.5 per cent from 1 January, 2014 amounting to an additional $11.20 for a metropolitan household.

• Increasing the insurance duty on general insurance products from 7 to 9 per cent to assist the state in funding the NDIS (Disability Care Australia). On a policy for a $300,000 home with $75,000 contents the increase will be $25 per year.

• Deferring for two years the planned increases in the payroll tax threshold.  This will save the government $235 million.

• Not introducing a flood levy

• Not providing households or businesses with a rebate for increased electricity prices outside the increases in the existing concessions.

Member for Rockhampton, Bill Byrne said the tax slug would hurt all families, but particularly those in flood and cyclone-prone areas.

“It is just another example of what we get from a government built on spin and ideology.”

“Here in Rockhampton, we’ve been smashed by flooding over the last few years, and people are really hurting,” Mr Byrne said.

“People approach me on a daily basis shocked by their insurance premium increases. This is a big issue in my community.”

“The last thing they need is for Campbell Newman to hit them with higher insurance taxes, additional to the already increasing insurance premiums.”

via Fire levy, insurance, power costs to rise in Queensland | Sunshine Coast Daily.