A letter of mine published in THE AGE today, in response to another yesterday from Bernadette George of Mildura.

Unfortunately, land prices have first claim on the results of progress, so the returns to labour and capital continue to suffer.

Our tax regimes need to offer a solution: i.e. un-tax labour and capital, and tax land rents (ergo, land prices) away instead. With increasing prosperity, people would then be more inclined to live in the regions where rents are cheaper out of the major cities.