13 May 2011
Katherine McFarlane has been appointed as the chief of staff of the NSW Minister for Infrastructure and Planning, Brad Hazzard. A former solicitor, Ms McFarlane was most recently a lecturer in justice studies/criminology at Charles Sturt University, Bathurst. She was Executive Officer of the NSW Sentencing Council from 2006 to 2009. Ms McFarlane previously worked for Mr Hazzard when he was Shadow Minister for Community Services and Aboriginal Affairs.
Nick Greiner has been appointed by the NSW Government as the Chair of Infrastructure NSW. More information is here.
The new NSW Treasurer, Mike Baird, has used parliament to criticise NSW’s growth performance over the last decade. “NSW had the lowest employment growth of any State during the last 10 years,” Mr Baird observed. “In fact, if job grown in New South Wales had matched Victoria’s under Labor’s reign, we would have seen an additional 193,000 jobs in New South Wales. During the last five years of Labor, business confidence in this State has been the lowest of any State in the nation”. His speech is here.
One of the nation’s major fibre-to-the-home operators is lobbying the Productivity Commission to investigate the Federal Government’s National Broadband Network for breaches of the government’s competitive neutrality policy. More information is here. Separately, the Federal Opposition has attacked the NBN Co., saying developers and people looking to buy new homes are increasingly distressed by problems with the roll-out of telephone cabling.
The NSW Government has passed legislation that is said to reduce taxes previously imposed upon property transactions. The Real Property Amendment (Torrens Assurance Levy Repeal) Bill 2011 repeals the “homebuyers” tax saving an average of $1,250 when buying a home. The Duties Amendment (Senior’s Principal Place of Residence Duty Exemption) Bill 2011 extends the eligibility of an existing stamp duty concession for “empty-nesters”. That is, those 55 years and above will not pay any stamp duty when they down size for a newly constructed home with a value of up to $600,000. The media release of the NSW Treasurer, Mike Baird is here.
Key changes to the Building Code of Australia commenced on 1 May 2011. The most significant change to building regulation is the introduction of the National Construction Code. The planning circular that provides a detailed outline of changes may be accessed here.
The Australian Building Codes Board has released a report on structural damage to buildings during Cyclone Yasi in North Queensland. The report can be accessed from here.
The Australian Government has deferred the implementation of the Tax Breaks for Green Buildings Program. The program will now come into effect on 1 July 2012, twelve months later than anticipated. More information is here.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption has found that a Strathfield Municipal Council Community Services Manager has engaged in corrupt conduct by soliciting $10,000 from the business development manager of a company which was negotiating a business proposal with the council. The ICAC recommends that consideration be given to the dismissing the manager. The ICAC fact sheet and full report is available from here.
Warwick Watkins has ceased to hold office as chief executive of the Central Coast Development Corporation and the Sydney Harbour Foreshores Authority, although he (whilst he is on leave) he still holds several official positions that are now part of the finance portfolio.
The National Housing Supply Council has been re-appointed by the Federal Government, with some new members. Its chair is Dr Owen Donald (former head of Victoria Housing). Its membership includes Saul Eslake (from theGrattan Institute), Sue Holliday (former head of planning in NSW), Dr Judy Yates (University of Sydney); Mark Hunter (CEO Residential, Stockland); andSimon Norris (General Manager, Clarendon Homes Queensland). More information is available here.
