The gradual abolition of the public leasehold system in Israel and Canberra: what lessons can be learned?

The ‘public leasehold system’ (PLS) in Israel and in Canberra was designed against the backdrop of 19th century social reform ideology. Recurring changes during the 20th century brought about practical abolition of the PLS. This paper attempts to review the PLS. A comparison of the two case studies helps to identify the inherent weaknesses, and suggests that PLSʹs failure to provide adequate compensation for an individualʹs risk bearing is its main drawback. Nevertheless, the PLS has virtues that makes it suitable to overcome difficulties in initial development. There is room to reconsider the PLS-based scheme as an applicable policy tool.