15 June 2010
The NSW Shadow Treasurer, Mike Baird, has declared that the low level of housing construction is “the most significant public policy challenge the state government faces in the next five years”. For more on Mr Baird’s comments click here.
However, the NSW Leader of the Opposition, Barry O’Farrell, has said that, when elected as Premier, he will divest planning powers to Ku-ring-gai Council so it could suspend the town centres local environmental plan.
“Immediately upon the election of the NSW Liberal/National government, Ku-ring-gai Council will have the powers to suspend the LEP,” he said.
“It will be among the first actions of a Liberal/National government”.
For more on Mr O’Farrell’s comments click here.
Last week Mr O’Farrell made further announcements as part of his “budget-in-reply” speech.
“A NSW Liberals & Nationals Government will start the change to reverse Sydney’s unwanted reputation as Australia?s least affordable city – a Labor legacy that has seen many families and young people finding Sydney too expensive to live in,” Mr O’Farrell said.
He said that the NSW Liberals and Nationals had a $630 million “Action Plan to Make Sydney Liveable Again” which included:
- extending stamp duty concessions to “empty nesters” who are over 55 years old, who choose to move from a house to a smaller dwelling;
- repealing the new $429 million ad valorem land transfer levy on property purchases;
- providing a Regional Relocation Grant of $7000 to encourage “whole of NSW”
growth; and - accelerating land release and reducing infrastructure costs on new developments.
“The NSW Liberals & Nationals will accelerate land release and help reduce costs of home ownership by publishing annual ‘real time’ new dwelling targets for Sydney, the Hunter and Illawarra. They will form a benchmark for performance in the planning system and allow local communities and their representatives access to more information to join in debate on housing issues, before decisions are made,” Mr O’Farrell said.
“In government, the NSW Liberals & Nationals will also make infrastructure costs contestable by making the formulation of government levies transparent, and considering any other proposals that offer better ways of delivering infrastructure that maintains or exceeds appropriate standards.”
For more information click here.
