Latest news with #RMIT
The Age
2 days ago
- Business
- The Age
Stamp duty changes could provide Suburban Rail Loop funding stream
Victoria's decision to end stamp duty on commercial properties and replace it with land tax could provide the funding stream the government is seeking to fund part of the $34.5 billion first stage of Suburban Rail Loop. Premier Jacinta Allan on Tuesday did not rule out her government carving out a portion of existing tax revenue to help pay for the project. On Tuesday, The Age reported the government was considering whether to carve off a share of stamp duty and land taxes collected from precincts around stations across the 1.6-kilometre first stage – Suburban Rail Loop East – which would be used to pay for the project, a concept known as hypothecation. Since a business and investment case for the rail loop was first released in 2021, the state government has maintained it can fund a third of the $34.5 billion first stage through value capture – charges or fees on the increased property values generated by a capital works project. Some value-capture proposals floated in this document were due to begin by this year and focused on additional taxes. The state government is still finalising what options it will proceed with and how they will be implemented. Dr David Hayward, RMIT emeritus professor of public policy and the social economy, said one key option available to the government was to harness its recent changes to commercial stamp duty. Loading Under changes that took effect on July 1, 2024, the government is phasing out stamp duty for commercial and industrial properties and replacing it with an annual land tax, set at 1 per cent of the property's unimproved land value Hayward said this automatically created a potential source of value capture within SRL precincts because land taxes would naturally increase alongside the value of commercial properties held around the stations.
Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Stamp duty changes could provide Suburban Rail Loop funding stream
Victoria's decision to end stamp duty on commercial properties and replace it with land tax could provide the funding stream the government is seeking to fund part of the $34.5 billion first stage of Suburban Rail Loop. Premier Jacinta Allan on Tuesday did not rule out her government carving out a portion of existing tax revenue to help pay for the project. On Tuesday, The Age reported the government was considering whether to carve off a share of stamp duty and land taxes collected from precincts around stations across the 1.6-kilometre first stage – Suburban Rail Loop East – which would be used to pay for the project, a concept known as hypothecation. Since a business and investment case for the rail loop was first released in 2021, the state government has maintained it can fund a third of the $34.5 billion first stage through value capture – charges or fees on the increased property values generated by a capital works project. Some value-capture proposals floated in this document were due to begin by this year and focused on additional taxes. The state government is still finalising what options it will proceed with and how they will be implemented. Dr David Hayward, RMIT emeritus professor of public policy and the social economy, said one key option available to the government was to harness its recent changes to commercial stamp duty. Loading Under changes that took effect on July 1, 2024, the government is phasing out stamp duty for commercial and industrial properties and replacing it with an annual land tax, set at 1 per cent of the property's unimproved land value Hayward said this automatically created a potential source of value capture within SRL precincts because land taxes would naturally increase alongside the value of commercial properties held around the stations.
ABC News
7 days ago
- General
- ABC News
What to look for when choosing or replacing cooking utensils at home
Have you considered replacing your plastic spatula after seeing a much-shared study that found black plastic kitchen utensils were unsafe? The study was corrected in early 2025 due to a major miscalculation that impacted the results. So what should you be looking out for when choosing or replacing cooking utensils at home and weighing up their functionality, durability and your health? Fiona Mair, a home economist and kitchen expert with consumer group Choice, says it's important to think about your kitchen as a whole before you buy something new or rush to replace an item. "Think about what you're cooking at home and what cookware you have," she says. For instance, "if you have a lot of non-stick cookware, then you're not going to want to buy stainless steel [utensils] because it's just going to scratch". Space is precious in most kitchens and she recommends looking for versatile utensils to reduce your spending. She also says price does not necessarily equate to quality. The best vegetable peeler she has found comes from the supermarket. The chef and owner of Indian restaurant Enter Via Laundry in Naarm/Melbourne, Helly Raichura, says she opts for metal spoons, whisks and spatulas. Unlike with plastic alternatives, she says there's no risk of stainless steel tools accidentally melting in a busy kitchen. Raichura says some types of stainless steel will last forever and others will turn grey and show signs of wear and tear over time. It can be helpful to keep note of what grade of stainless steel you're using, she says. Ms Mair says she's had some wooden spoons for more than 20 years. They're very versatile, durable and can be kinder on the surfaces of your cookware, she says. Ms Mair says they need to be handwashed well in hot, soapy water and then dried completely, and there are also products to help prolong the life of wooden items. For example, food-grade beeswax can be rubbed into the wood to help it last longer. Wooden spoons are also a staple in Ms Raichura's utensil drawer, but "don't put them in the dishwasher," she urges. This can cause them to dry out, warp, crack and for splinters to form. Oliver Jones, a professor of chemistry at RMIT in Naarm/Melbourne, says cookware and kitchen utensils sold in Australia are "quite strictly regulated", with manufacturers required to demonstrate they're safe. Professor Jones says the quality will vary among plastic and silicone cooking utensils, and more expensive products can often withstand higher temperatures. "Usually, [plastic utensils are] designed for particular use and they're very safe for that use." If you have a damaged plastic utensil, Professor Jones says to replace it if you want to. "If you're not comfortable it's probably safer to get a new one, but it's not actually a very high risk," he says. Professor Jones also says: "There's a lot of concern about microplastics. A lot of it, I think, is not data driven … but that's not to negate the real concerns that people have about it." He says microplastics are usually produced "when you get something grinding against something else". Something like a plastic salt grinder is likely to create some microplastics, he says, but "you wouldn't be rubbing two [plastic] ladles together, for example". For anyone who prefers to do their washing up with the help of a dishwasher, Ms Mair has this advice. While the manufacturers of some stainless steel and plastic products will mark products as dishwasher friendly, she says they may "deteriorate over time and become brittle depending on the type of material that's used". Look for things that seem hardy and well made, paying special attention to handles, if you're a dishwasher devotee, she says. If you can, Ms Raichura suggests looking at what's on offer in hospitality stockists, especially if durability and quality are priorities. "They almost always have a retail outlet open for everyone," she says. She also recommends visiting Asian or Indian specialty stores for a variety of kitchen tools. You can find better quality items at a lower price point, she says.
Sydney Morning Herald
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
I was the Osbournes' nanny. One day I saw Ozzy eat 50 steaks
When Melbourne artist Jessie Breakwell was 26 years old, backpacking and almost broke in London, she landed a special gig: working as a nanny for Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne. It was 1996, and Bracewell had applied for work with a nannying agency to fund her travels after studying fine arts at RMIT. The next week, a limousine arrived where she was temping as a receptionist and she was taken to meet the family. She was interviewed by Ozzy and Sharon – together with their children, Jack, Kelly and Aimee, then aged 13, 14 and 15 – and thinks she got the job because they wanted someone relaxed. For the next 18 months, Breakwell lived and worked with the Osbournes, travelling between their home in Buckinghamshire and Beverley Hills. This was several years before the MTV reality show The Osbournes launched them to global fame; they asked her to stay ahead of the show's launch, but she was keen to get back to Australia. With news of Ozzy Osbourne's death on Wednesday, she has been remembering her time with the family. 'I spent more time with Ozzy than probably any of them, to be honest, when he was home between tours. He was the funniest guy. Because he spoke slowly people thought he was stupid, but he was so smart.' Breakwell, a Melbourne-based artist who runs her own gallery, said Ozzy was funny, down-to-earth, and without any airs or graces. 'He was always kind, he had time for everybody and made you feel really welcome,' she said. 'Because he didn't drive, he used to do things like get in the car, open the sunroof, turn his own music on and stand up and sing out the roof. He was quite obsessive compulsive. For a week he'd just be drawing all week, the next he'd have a cycling obsession, so he'd put the bike in the loungeroom and be cycling for days, or he'd decide he would only eat steak and he'd have 50 steaks a day.'
The Age
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
I was the Osbournes' nanny. One day I saw Ozzy eat 50 steaks
When Melbourne artist Jessie Breakwell was 26 years old, backpacking and almost broke in London, she landed a special gig: working as a nanny for Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne. It was 1996, and Bracewell had applied for work with a nannying agency to fund her travels after studying fine arts at RMIT. The next week, a limousine arrived where she was temping as a receptionist and she was taken to meet the family. She was interviewed by Ozzy and Sharon – together with their children, Jack, Kelly and Aimee, then aged 13, 14 and 15 – and thinks she got the job because they wanted someone relaxed. For the next 18 months, Breakwell lived and worked with the Osbournes, travelling between their home in Buckinghamshire and Beverley Hills. This was several years before the MTV reality show The Osbournes launched them to global fame; they asked her to stay ahead of the show's launch, but she was keen to get back to Australia. With news of Ozzy Osbourne's death on Wednesday, she has been remembering her time with the family. 'I spent more time with Ozzy than probably any of them, to be honest, when he was home between tours. He was the funniest guy. Because he spoke slowly people thought he was stupid, but he was so smart.' Breakwell, a Melbourne-based artist who runs her own gallery, said Ozzy was funny, down-to-earth, and without any airs or graces. 'He was always kind, he had time for everybody and made you feel really welcome,' she said. 'Because he didn't drive, he used to do things like get in the car, open the sunroof, turn his own music on and stand up and sing out the roof. He was quite obsessive compulsive. For a week he'd just be drawing all week, the next he'd have a cycling obsession, so he'd put the bike in the loungeroom and be cycling for days, or he'd decide he would only eat steak and he'd have 50 steaks a day.'
