The housing fix we actually CAN do something about

The inequity of this just kills me. Someone can buy a $2.275million second hand house in an established area and pay less than 5% tax, while someone buying a $715,000 new house is going to pay around 30% in tax. Not only that, but the total tax bill is just $104,162 for the $2.275m house but more than double that (around $216,000) for a new house which is one third the price.

We can fix this. We could radically rethink the way each level of government is happily but secretly clipping the ticket on new housing, or is adding to compliance costs by promising 'sustainability' measures which only apply to the minuscule percentage of houses which are new in any year versus what's already built (hence having almost no effect on housing sustainability overall).

There is no equity argument which can stand scrutiny that would allow a young family trying to enter the market via a new house or apartment being forced to pay six times the rate of tax on their house compared with millionaires upgrading in established suburbs.

A separate tax bill with each new house – disclosing the GST, infrastructure levies, and other compliance costs – would be a start but don't expect politicians to support that idea. Imagine the uproar?

And rather than applying so many taxes and charges up-front for the new housing market, we need to explore more longer-term infrastructure bonds or similar arrangements which are paid off over time via the rates bill. Just like the way the established Clayfield house paid for its high amenity – not upfront, but over time.

Finally, when the next politician who proposes a range of sustainability or other design changes which will add to the cost of each new dwelling, let's have them ask why they aren't applying those same rules to the entire housing market, as opposed to punishing just the new buyers? Don't hold your breath.

Reform is possible but as long as we entertain voodoo economics paraded as credible 'solutions' to our current housing challenges, be prepared to watch this tragedy get more re-runs than a B grade soap opera.