Shadow Minister Media Releases
Page Slams State Government For Increasing Hire Car Licence Fees ( 07/04/2008)
Shadow Minister for Small Business, Don Page slammed the State Labor Government for massively increasing ten-year hire car licence fees over the past three years.
“In the Ballina electorate alone, a ten-year licence has gone from $6,000 to $17,000. The increase is not isolated to Ballina and I believe that even greater increases have been incurred in other areas.
“It is a despicable fee increase that not only severely impacts on small business operators in the hire car industry, but also has the potential to reduce available transport,” Mr Page said.
“Regional NSW can ill-afford to lose any of its valuable transport options where there is very limited public transport available.
“This State Labor Government have a long history of hitting small businesses hard, but this level of fee increase is just unconscionable.”
The State Government have increased the fee despite opening the ten-year licence fee to an open bid process.
“I am reliably informed that the Minister for Transport received only one bid in the process for the Ballina area and it was for a similar rate to the 2004 fee,” Mr Page said.
“They have clearly ignored the industry on this one and once again gouged hard earned dollars from the pockets of small business operators.
“The Iemma Labor Government is already the highest taxing Government in history. Now they are adding to the burden of small businesses with operating fee increases that in some cases may not be achievable.
“This level of fee increase only leads to legitimate operators leaving the industry, reduces the interest of new operators coming into the industry and encourages illegal rogue operators.
“This is an appalling decision by the State Government. No wonder increasing numbers of people are moving out of New South Wales to other States.
“I call on the Minister for Transport and the State Government to address the excessive ten year licence fee increases for hire cars as a matter of urgency.”
