10 December 2009
Todays report of the NSW Parliaments Standing Committee on State Development is extremely disappointing, according to the Urban Taskforce.
After 18 months, 341 pages and 11 hearing days you would have thought the committee would have formed strong opinions on the future of planning and development in NSW, Mr Gadiel said.
Instead, the report recommends a further review which could take up to five years to complete.
This would laughable if the consequences for NSW werent so serious.
NSW is cursed with the lowest per-capita rate of new home construction anywhere in Australia.
The rate of homes construction has been in freefall since the year 2000.
No other state or territory builds less new homes, relative to population.
Even in absolute terms, NSW has less building activity than either Victoria or Queensland.
Mr Gadiel said a further six recommendations of the committee deal with trivia.
Its very disappointing that the committee has made no recommendation on the excessive development levies in NSW the highest in the country.
Its surprising that the reforms of other states to strengthen investment certainty have not been recommended for NSW.
The Urban Taskforce is a property development industry group, representing Australias most prominent property developers and equity financiers.
The construction activity made possible by property developers contributes $78 billion to the national economy each year and creates 849,000 direct jobs.
