03 March 2011

The NSW Government has declined to accept a development proposal from British American Tobacco (BAT) at Eastgardens for assessment as a major project under its Part 3A planning laws. Minister for Planning, Tony Kelly, said BAT is proposing to rationalise the current manufacturing operations at its 16.8-hectare site on Westfield Drive, freeing up 10 hectares of the site for residential and retail uses. However, the Department of Planning did not accept the proposal on the grounds retention of significant employment land is a key objective of the Governments Metropolitan Plan,¡± the Minister said. Concern was also raised regarding the suitability of the proposed uses and the potential impacts on existing retail centres

03 March 2011

The NSW Government has approved a $45 million expansion of a residential project on the former Channel 7 site at Epping which will provide an extra 150 residential units and more than 4,000 square metres of additional open space. Planning Minister Tony Kelly said the modification to a concept plan first approved in 2006 would provide much needed additional housing, helping to meet housing targets set by the Metropolitan Plan for Sydney 2036. The Metropolitan Plan indicates that the West Central subregion, which includes Epping, will need an additional 96,000 homes by 2036, Mr Kelly said.

03 March 2011

The Shadow Treasurer, Joe Hockey, said figures suggest that housing construction is fading fast. The Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show housing units approved for construction fell by a massive 15.9% in January, one of the biggest monthly falls on record. Whilst the monthly data are volatile, smoother trend data show that housing construction approvals have been falling for eleven months. Australia is already suffering a housing affordability crisis with insufficient houses being built to meet demand. These latest figures show that this crisis is getting worse.

03 March 2011

Shadow Minister for Planning, Brad Hazzard said the Keneally Labor Government has prorogued Parliament, denied due process into the inquiry on electricity and has now thumbed their nose at the Land & Environment by changing the rules on contamination remediation at Barangaroo. This is an abuse of process and Kristina Keneally is in it up to her eyeballs showing that NSW Labor has no respect for the rule of law and the NSW community, said Mr Hazzard.

01 March 2011

Shadow Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian said the NSW Keneally Labor Government can't be trusted on anything they say about the South West Rail Link given their failure to deliver essential rail infrastructure on time or on budget. "Under Labor the South West rail link has been announced and dumped many times, is now running four years late and will cost an extra $1.4 billion," Ms Berejiklian said.

28 February 2011

The NSW Government has supported a major jobs boost in western Sydney with the approval of a $65 million distribution centre near Blacktown that will create up to 1,000 jobs, including 600 ongoing operational positions. The purpose-built distribution centre to be occupied by Metcash Trading will occupy 18.7 hectares of the 56-hectare Bungaribee Industrial Estate at Huntingwood West, for which the Government gave concept plan approval in 2006. The site is ideally located close to the intersection of the M4 and M7 Motorways. Planning Minister Tony Kelly said the approved project represents an important contribution to the Governments key Metropolitan Plan goal of delivering jobs in Sydneys west, allowing more people to work closer to home.

25 February 2011

The importance of the Parramatta to Epping rail link and transport solutions for the north and south-west of Sydney will be just a few of the topics discussed at Parramatta City Council's economic development forum, 'Parramatta: Australia's Next CBD' on 8 March. An initiative of the Lord Mayor of Parramatta, Cr John Chedid, this high-powered forum will discuss Parramatta's important role in the future development of Sydney and will feature moderated discussions from major industry leaders in sectors such as business, property, sports, arts and planning. Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell will also address the forum, along with Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Anthony Albanese.

25 February 2011

The NSW Government has approved a new council-wide local environmental plan (LEP) for Port Macquarie-Hastings, as part of a Statewide program to modernise and simplify these plans. Minister for Planning, Tony Kelly, said the Port Macquarie-Hastings LEP combines three existing LEPs into one, which makes it easier to access local planning information.