SA Greens propose Airbnb crackdown, bank tax, free school and public transport

School fees and public transport should be free and Airbnbs cracked down on, the SA Greens have proposed in a budget submission. Find out how they’d pay for it.

A crackdown on Airbnbs, scrapping public school fees and petrol price relief with free public transport would be funded by huge taxes on banks, big business and property investors under an SA Greens budget agenda.

In a submission ahead of the June 15 state budget, the Greens want to boost long-term rental housing stock by capping the number of nights a property can be listed for short-stay rentals, like Airbnbs.

Other proposals include free, healthy breakfasts and lunches in every public school, backed by a $102m infrastructure upgrade for kitchens and dining areas, plus abolishing fees for all public schools.

Making public transport free for six months to counter soaring petrol prices is slated as a $54.17m program, while a further $250m would expand the network in the Adelaide Hills and regions.

SA Greens treasury spokesman Robert Simms.

A state-based bank tax, like the contentious $370m impost dumped by Labor in late 2017, is backed as a revenue measure, along with a 75 per cent developer tax.

A “Covid recovery levy” would increase land tax for owners of multiple investment properties and swell payroll tax for big business, although rates are not specified.

SA Greens treasury spokesman Robert Simms accused the Liberals of missing in action on the cost-of-living crisis, insisting his party was stepping up “as the genuine opposition” to suggest a range of measures.

“Given so many South Australians are struggling at the moment, we hope that the government actions our proposals to reduce rent, energy and transport costs as an urgent priority,” he said.

“While the big banks are raking in record profits off the back of soaring interest rates, now is the perfect time to re-initiate a debate over a big bank levy.”

SA Greens MLC Robert Simms and Senator Sarah Hanson-Young join protesters from Extinction Rebellion and other climate action groups near Parliament House in Adelaide on May 18. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Morgan Sette

Other proposals in the Greens’ budget submission include:

INCREASING energy concession expenditure by 50 per cent, paid as a percentage of household bills.

A 10-YEAR program to plant 2.5m trees throughout Adelaide and regional centres.

FREE flu vaccinations for all South Australians and a drug pill testing-trial.

BUILDING 10,000 public homes during the next year.

Many of the measures are drawn from the SA Greens 2022 election platform, the centrepiece of which was reversing the “disastrous” privatisation of the state’s electricity network and erosion of public housing by recreating ETSA and the SA Housing Trust.

Treasurer Stephen Mullighan commended the Greens for putting forward ideas and creating genuine debate, accusing the Opposition of laziness.

“However, unfortunately, like most proposals from the Greens, they fail to realistically take into consideration the financial and market implications of their proposals,” he said.

“I look forward to handing down a budget that supports our core funding priorities and economic growth.”

Mr Mullighan listed cost-of-living measures unveiled by the government including fast-tracking land release for housing, electricity bill concessions, free public transport for seniors card holders and limiting government charges to under inflation.