10 December 2010
Greg Piper, the independent MP for Lake Macquarie has introduced a private members bill into the NSW parliament: the Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment (Maintenance of Local Government Development Consent Powers) Bill 2010. The bill:
- makes it more difficult for a Planning Minister to appoint a planning administrator;
- removes the ability of the Minister to appoint a Ku-ring-gai Council style planning assessment panel when a council is underperforming; and
- limits the powers of planning administrators when they are appointed.
A speech by Greg Piper explaining the rationale for the bill is available here. The bill is here.
Clover Moore, the independent MP for Sydney in the NSW Parliament and Lord Mayor of Sydney, has introduced a separate bill proposing changes to strata laws.
The bill is targeted at further limiting the involvement of property developers in the management of strata properties. Among other things the bill prevents the original developer and certain associates from being appointed as a strata managing agent or a caretaker.
A speech by Clover Moore Piper explaining the rationale for the bill is available here. The bill is here.
At this point, neither of these bills has received the support of the NSW Government or the Opposition. As parliament has now adjourned until after the next state election, the bills will lapse and will need to be re-introduced after March 2011 if they are to be considered.
The bills are unlikely to pass in their current form (unless the forthcoming state election results in a hung parliament). Nonetheless, the bills provide a useful insight as to the issues that these independent MPs will be lobbying on next year.
The Urban Taskforce will analyse the bills and provide industry comment to both sides of parliament. Please feel free to contact us if there are any matters you think we should raise in our submission.
