Should other states follow Victoria and start imposing a 3 per cent surcharge to foreign citizens who are not permanent residents who buy residential property and a 0.5 per cent land tax surcharge to absentee property owners who are not citizens or permanent residents? The Victorian government's plan, outlined in today's state budget to be delivered by Treasurer Tim Pallas, is to implement the new changes as early as July. Enforcement will be handled by the State Revenue Office.   

Victoria's budget is powered by real estate, and in the past year, house prices in Melbourne have increased by 7 percent. 

New South Wales Treasurer Gladys Berejiklian has declined to comment on whether she would follow Victoria's imposition of a 0.5 per cent land tax surcharge on absentee property owners not residing in Australia, who were neither an Australian nor New Zealand citizen, or a permanent resident. Berejiklian would also not say whether NSW will follow Victoria in slapping a 3 per cent surcharge on all home purchases by foreign buyers, including temporary residents, reports The Australian Financial Review.

"The NSW state budget will be delivered on June 23 and we will be delivering a number of important initiatives for the people of NSW," Berejiklian said.