A Flood Levy - Levy

After encouraging the Australian population to all pitch in and assist in the building of levy banks to resist the flood waters in both Queensland and Victoria, the Prime Minister is now banking on a levy to resist the flood of bills expected during the rebuilding.

Here are some other pun-based taxes in case of future devastating disasters:

· In the case of Sydney Harbour Bridge collapsing – bridging finance

· Explosions crippling ll of Australia’s power stations – a surcharge

· Death of all milliners in the lead up to the Melbourne Cup – a cap on all spending

· Swine flu wiping out Australia’s piggeries – a sty-pend

· Financial collapse of the nations publishing houses – an over-draft

· Closing of all national and local railway stations – a funding platform

The Opposition, as their name suggests, is opposed to this. They instead are in favour of reduced spending, of course they are also opposed to any spending cuts that also result in reduced services.

It is expensive business rebuilding towns on the flood plains of the Murray River. It also amazes me that people are surprised that whilst living on a flood plain that their property will occasionally be flooded.

This is the perfect opportunity to build more environmentally friendly abodes. Plumb recycled grey (or murky brown) water into the laundry, toilets and gardens. Solar panels on the rooves. Rainwater bladders in the foundations of the house plumbed to the kitchen and bathroom. If securely attached these bladders could double as floating pontoons for the property in the case the once-in-100-year-flood repeats itself in another 30 year as was the case this time around.

In the same way that athletes villages for international sporting events are designed for easy refurbishing to become retirement villages or public housing, with the rain water bladders Australia could be world leaders in building entire towns and suburbs of potential houseboats. The solar panels could be rigged in away that they can become sails.

Financially there has to be savings got te government of the installation of the much-heralded National Broadband Network as the necessary cabling can occur during the rebuilding. The digging of trenches will no longer be required in some areas the entire district is but one large trench.

The Cash for Clunkers scheme has been abandoned which mush be f great frustration to the families and businesses affected by the floods as we all saw on the news that their cars were swept away by the rising waters before clunking into each other, buildings, bridges or trees.

Hopefully the government have learned from their mistakes from the home insolation program and the school halls scheme. In the former many of the properties burned down and to be frank Victorian’s are still a bit sensitive to the thought of major fires. Some might say it is too soon. With the latter superfluous school buildings were built. The rebuilding of two states is going to be expensive enough without building additional towns. Ones that were never there in the first place. Home owners may however be able to take advantage of such mismanagement principles. Publicly funded upgrades extensions; two bedroom shacks becoming palatial 4 bedroom open plan living homes.

Australia is said to have been raised on the sheep’s back we will now be rebuilt from a builders crack.

[image: ibtimes.com]