🟠 Fuel fees and a $4 million view

Also including: Bushfire recovery efforts and mineral springs running dry in West Vic

Author

Matthew Sims
April 22, 2026

⏱️ The 130th edition of our newsletter is a five-minute read.

Hi there 👋 

Matthew Sims here, your reporter at the Eastern Melburnian.

💨 When you think of Australia’s most significant exports, you may think of gold or beef, but one of the biggest is Liquified Natural Gas.

🪙 A new government inquiry will hear from experts, community groups and the fossil fuel industry to inspect whether our country’s oil and gas tax arrangements are fit for purpose. A proposed tax on gas exports has garnered support across the political spectrum, including Liberal senators like Andrew Hastie and Independents like senator David Pocock.

🎤 I popped down to Westfield Doncaster to speak with some locals about what they thought a tax boost should be spent on in their neighbourhoods, with ideas ranging from supporting young families to fixing failing roads and health networks.

🕳️ In other news, I am planning on taking a closer look at the issue of potholes across Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.

Which areas or roads are the worst? Who is in control of maintaining which roads? What budget is available for the State Government or councils in fixing damaged roads?

📸 Name and shame some of the worst offenders in your neighbourhood by sharing a photo and the exact location to [email protected]

Today we’re covering:

  • Where locals would like to see spending from a proposed 25 percent tax on Australia’s gas exports; and

  • The three-level, $4 million penthouse in Box Hill that’s been for sale for three years.

“Our modelling shows that from January to April this year, every Australian would be $400 better off if we taxed gas properly.”

Greens Senator for Victoria Steph Hodgins-May said Australians should reap the rewards of gas exports.

WHAT’S ON & COMING UP 🎟️

📰 THIS WEEK’S HEADLINES

Doncaster East resident Andrew says the Australian government’s current tax on gas exports is “very far behind” the rest of the world.

He’s one of many eastern suburbs locals backing growing calls for a 25 percent tax on the country’s gas exports that could generate $17 billion in revenue a year.

Advocates across the political spectrum say the money could be spent on things like fixing roads, upgrading hospitals and becoming less dependent on foreign energy sources.

The Eastern Melburnian spoke to locals about the proposed levy, asking them what the extra $348.9 million a week could do for local communities.

Australia’s gas exports account for a fifth of the global market.

The Federal Government taxes gas export projects via the Petroleum Resource Rent Tax (PRRT) – a profits-based levy which collects about $1.5 billion a year.

In contrast, the 2025-26 beer excise is expected to bring in $2.7 billion.

According to modelling from the Australia Institute, a 25 percent flat tax would raise $348.9 million a week or $17 billion a year.

Warrandyte resident David Rush, 71, said young families undergoing financial hardship should be the primary recipients of any potential tax revenue.

“I think, currently, the gas is probably sold too cheaply overseas,” said Rush. “People with young families, they get no concessions at all.”

Balwyn North resident Karen said the surplus wealth should go back into Australia’s infrastructure as needed, including building more oil refineries or upgrading hospitals and schools, arguing Australians should come first.

“We're virtually giving it away and we don't have enough in this country,” said Karen.

Doncaster East resident Andrew said the money should be spent on fixing local roads, education and health networks.

“When we look around the world at what other countries have done with their fossil fuels and income from them, we are very far behind,” Andrew told the Eastern Melburnian.

Labor Chisholm MP Dr Carina Garland said while she believes “Australians deserve a fair return from the natural resources they own”, she stopped short of supporting the call for a 25 percent levy, instead highlighting recent changes to the PRRT have meant offshore gas companies pay more tax sooner.

On March 30, the Senate agreed to launch an inquiry into gas taxation, which is due to report back on May 7, only five days before the federal budget on Tuesday May 12.

A three-storey luxury apartment in Box Hill has been sitting on the market with an asking price of $4 million for the past three years – a suburb record if the sale goes ahead.

However, the special projects manager overseeing the property told the Eastern Melburnian the vendor may need to temper their high hopes if it’s not snatched up soon.

Located at 2806/820 Whitehorse Road in Box Hill, the three-level apartment takes up the top three levels of a 28-storey development, which itself includes about 200 apartments.

At 244 square metres, the apartment includes four bedrooms, four bathrooms, a kitchen with an integrated refrigerator and private parking for two cars.

Unit and apartment prices in Box Hill have been falling gradually over the past five years – dropping from a median price of $601,125 across 286 sales in the May 2020 to April 2021 period to a median price of $505,000 across 454 sales over the April 2025 to March 2026 period – a reduction of about 15.99 percent.

Property Solutions Estate Agents special projects manager Anthony Wong said while interest had been “solid” for similar penthouses, it was usual for high-end properties to remain on the market for several years in large developments like this.

“There's not many three-level penthouses in Box Hill,” Wong told the Eastern Melburnian.

Wong said if the property went for $4 million, it would be a suburb record across all property types, with the previous record at about $2.6 million.

“Properties like this apartment are positioned and priced this high as they were never available before, of this size for an apartment, and the build cost warranted it,” said Wong. “Whether it’s worth it or not is up to the market to decide, but considering it’s been on the market for a while, the vendor will need to adjust their expectations.”

👀 DID YOU SEE?

How does Victoria bounce back after disaster?

At the end of 2024, fires ripped through the Grampians in Victoria, burning 80% of the National Park. West Vic Brolga reporter Darcie Humphreys spoke with the National Account’s Archie Milligan about how businesses in the area are coping and what recovery has looked like.

The pair also get into the state's spa country, where the millennium drought has had some long-term effects on mineral spring water levels.

I’ve been thinking about adding a new section to this newsletter to focus on the weirder side of things east of Melbourne!

If you’ve seen something odd on your travels, have a weird tale from the past or just want to shout out the eccentric characters that make your neighbourhood tick, let me know!

Cheers,

Matthew