Churches are embarking on large-scale residential and office developments across Sydney worth hundreds of millions of dollars, prompting questions about whether religious organisations are paying their fair share of taxes and other property levies.
The NSW Greens planning spokesman Jamie Parker said churches were behaving more like corporations than charities when it came to redeveloping property.“They are privatising the benefits of assets that have been subsidised by the public for decades through favourable tax arrangements,” he said. “The public expects that church properties should be used for good works, not inappropriate overdevelopments.
Bruce Morrison, the Cathedral’s senior minister, said the project also includes a civic square that will create a new setting for the historic cathedral. However, the plan also includes demolishing a heritage-listed church hall, which has triggered concerns from the National Trust.The Uniting Church has unveiled a $108 million development proposal for three buildings, including a 27-storey tower, in Burwood.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church’s plan to build apartment towers around the Wahroonga Adventist School has also, with church members, Ku-ring-gai council and parents raising concerns about the residential development.
MdmAbsentMinded _andrew We already know the answer....it's No!
_andrew They’re not
_andrew They’re not
_andrew They have aleady raped their way through our children for the past 100 + years so why the hell would you expect them to suddenly grow a conscious and contribute to soicety through taxation!
broomstick33 _andrew Last time i checked vatican had over $110B worth of assets.
_andrew SydArchdiocese parracatholic SydAnglicans UnitingChurchAu Jesus kicked out the money traders from the Temple. Sydney is so decadent it's soon approaching the fate of the Late Roman Empire: overreach And Christian educated NSW treasurer Dom_Perrottet not even noticing it
_andrew All religions should be taxed except for genuine charity acts. They are just another 'club' specialising in the future.
_andrew of course theyre not
_andrew This is a good article. The Churches should be ashamed that they participate in this monopoly game - a pact with the devil - which was made possible by a rushed blanket rezoning of whole areas forced upon Councils by the NSW government. Total town-planning failure.
_andrew I know a protestant church in Sydney where the weekly congregation is lucky to reach 25 on a good day, weather permitting. Tax free of course.
_andrew Hell no.
_andrew Taxing churches will mean less ability to support those in the community that no one else does.
_andrew Here ya go Joshin A Cure for the dead ‘Budget Surplus’ Tax Religions ... Oh, and make Corporate Australia ‘Pay Some Fuckin Tax‘ while you’re at it ! JoshFrydenberg CouldntRunATuckshop
_andrew And in amongst all that are American cults that our idiot authorities have allowed to deem themselves a ' Churches ' when we all know they damn well are not any such thing ! Other countries have recognised this as FACT why haven't our fools? Auspol
_andrew Leftist globohomo Lucifarians are always looking for more money they can steal, they will even steal off God. Disgusting.
_andrew Not to mention tardiness in signing up to Redress Scheme & unwilling to pay just compensation to child sex abuse victims. auspol Churches
_andrew
_andrew Horizon church gets $120,000 grant from the federal government to upgrade security at Morrison’s church. If you have the PM in your congregation you do not need to pay for anything let alone taxes. Leave it to the taxpayers. How good is it being a happy clapper?
_andrew Tax the ever holy crap out of them
_andrew Define fair
_andrew It's very noticeable locally the shiny new headquarters built by numerous charities. While in the vicinity are their untaxed opshop businesses flogging donated goods and staffed by forced volunteer labour on Work For The Dole.
_andrew I think a lot of religious organisations do more than there fair share of helping people. I wouldn't be in my fourtanate position out of the gutter with out them. But there are some really big churches who don't give a lot in comparison to money generated. For those start taxing
_andrew Hillsong say no more in regards to tax scammers
_andrew we should scrap the tax free status for churches Many indep pastors setting up their own churches so churches proliferate They r being abused as tax free status
_andrew Never have paid their way. Yet another reason to see religions banned along with all false belief systems.
_andrew For starters, all churches that haven't joined the child abuse compensation scheme should have their tax-free status suspended on 1 July.