‘Lazy place tax’ push to turn empty buildings into creative hubs

“We must explore a financial mechanism whereby if you lease your space to a creative at a discounted rate, then you’d receive land tax credits and/or concessions, and conversely if a property is doing nothing, there would be a penalty – something like a lazy space tax,” Miller said.

“Everyone talks about the need to activate spaces to enliven local high streets. The opposite of active is lazy. It captures that frustration of looking at a beautiful building that sits there empty and lifeless. We need a way to encourage these spaces being used that is more compelling than overt land-banking, where money is parked in Sydney property.”