Australia MPs seek higher fines for illegal home-buying

Sydney

FOREIGNERS who illegally buy homes in Australia should face higher fines, a parliamentary committee has said, calling on authorities to better police existing rules.

The current A$85,000 (S$94,564) fine for foreigners breaching the rules, "seen by many as simply the cost of doing business", should be replaced with penalties tied to the property's value, the House Economics Committee said in a report that made 12 recommendations. Third parties who help foreigners break the rules should be fined, and gains from illegally purchased homes should be forfeited to the government, it added.