But landlords of retail properties mostly oppose the idea which, they say, is an unnecessary infringement on their rights.

They argue that they are the biggest losers when their premises are empty because they must pay rates, land tax and often a mortgage but they receive no rent.

They say the main reason for vacancies is not a conspiracy of landlords but the difficulty of finding suitable tenants. This is especially true now in high streets selling non-essential products such as clothing and electronics which are most exposed to online competition.

During the pandemic, people changed their shopping habits and moved to purchasing online.

In the US – where the same debate is raging – a study in August by Erica Moszkowski of Harvard University’s Joint Centre for Housing Studies said landlords are reluctant to sign retail leases in the current weak market because retail leases tend to be fairly long-term and landlords want to avoid locking in low rents.

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She says that, in some cases, vacancy taxes will encourage them to be less choosy but this has a downside.

If designed poorly, a vacancy tax might punish landlords who want to but cannot find tenants.

Moreover, sometimes it can be in the interests of the surrounding shops if landlords wait for good tenants who will bring more customers to the area.

The immediate crisis triggered by the pandemic may well be easing. The Reserve Bank of Australia’s Financial Stability Review in October said that retail vacancy rates have now mostly fallen back to their low pre-pandemic levels, although not in CBDs which are suffering from the long-term trend towards working from home.

The share of online sales has also returned to its pre-pandemic level of about 10 per cent but if Australia follows the trend in other countries it will rise back up.

Maintaining vibrant high streets at a time when consumers are shifting to shopping online and the economy is changing is a complex challenge but a well-designed vacancy tax is worth keeping on the table as one of the solutions.

Bevan Shields sends an exclusive newsletter to subscribers each week. Sign up to receive his Note from the Editor.