Developer Tim Gurner says the Victorian government’s stamp duty cuts are a strong start to get the property market moving again, but warned the effort is doomed to fail unless Melbourne’s reputation as a safe place to invest is restored after years of being pummelled by lockdowns, high taxes and debt.

“The strong consensus in other states is that Victoria is broke, it’s cold, and your property prices don’t go up,” Mr Gurner told The Australian Financial Review.