About $1.4 billion of the $3.1 billion budget will tackle traffic congestion and improve road safety.

Unless they can raise capital in other ways including selling assets, councils will pass the tax onto ratepayers.

This month the mayor of Australia’s biggest council, Brisbane, estimated the carbon tax will add about $22 to the cost of every ratepayers bill next financial year.

That article can be found here:

A recently launched auditor general report into the contentious program has highlighted

Rawlinsons is widely used within industry circles, and continually monitors construction costs across all sectors including education, office, retail, industrial, hospitality etc.

It releases its figures according to State.

The Australian reported the disparity between Rawlinsons figures, and that the ALP is spending.

Education Minister Julia Gillard was unable to explain to The Australian why state schools were forced to pay such a high price for structures.

The ALP continues to shrug off claims of cost blow-outs, saying higher costs equals higher quality – something it has failed to prove.

As well as the potential cost blowout, the controversial $16.2 billion program was criticised for failing to “revolutionise” anything within the Education sector – instead just build new structures, many of which schools have neither wanted or needed.

The program was designed to create jobs for tradesman and unskilled workers, but instead, up to 6000 workers are now at risk of losing their jobs, The Australian reports.

The Environment Department said in an audit of the program that 8 per cent of insulation work had not complied with guidelines, and 16 per cent of insulation was not of the quality required.

Materials used, and the honesty of those installing the batts, have come under question this week.

A revised program would see homeowners rather than service providers claim the rebate.

Mr Garrett admitted that had this revised registration program been in place, 4000 companies would have been suspended and 1050 deregistered.

Only 2500 companies – those honest ones who have the most to lose from the scrapping of the scheme – would have met the requirements, Mr Garrett admitted.

Also affected by relevant accreditation issues, is the Green Loans Program, which offered interest free loans worth $10,000 for environmentally friendly home improvements.

But CAV has simply watched as thousands of properties are listed for sale online, and in newspapers, using this method.

Any redevelopment would offer unique easterly views up the Yarra River and to Federation Square.

The landmark asset is expected to net the government about $30 million as a development site.

A government representative was unavailable for comment when contacted by Capital Gain.

Last week, it was reported another prominent government owned site – the VicRoads office in Denmark Street, Kew – is also earmarked for sale.

In March, the government also listed for sale another prominent Yarra River fronting site, between the Seafarers Mission and Wurundjeri Way.

Like Kew, the former Convention Centre, in the World Trade Centre precinct, is expected to be redeveloped into a village of shops, offices and apartments.

Related articles:

ALP Considers Selling Prominent VicRoads Headquarters, Kew

Victorian State Government Offloads More Inner-City Property

The Port Melbourne site is expected to sell for about $14 million, and make way for a high-profile business park possibly with a high-tech industrial component. Jones Lang LaSalle is the marketing agent.

Elsewhere in the immediate area, the State Government recently launched a Registration of Interest campaign to redevelop another site at Docklands between Wurundjeri Way and the Yarra River into a mixed use village possibly including shops, apartments, offices and a hotel.

The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development also sold a prominent 1.5 hectare site at Prohasky Street, Port Melbourne, which it had previously used to store unused school portables.

That site suddenly found itself at a prominent freeway onramp, as part of recent major freeway works, and sold for about $3 million to a developer, who is expected to capitalise on the newfound high profile.