07 March 2011

Newcastles new Justice Precinct has taken another step forward - with Premier Kristina Keneally calling for tenders for the $94 million redevelopment. This will make it the States largest court complex outside Sydney and will create up to 200 direct and indirect jobs during construction. The $94 million project will deliver a 10-court complex making it up to 20 per cent larger than Newcastles current ageing court facilities at Church Street.

07 March 2011

The Lord Mayors of Australias capital cities have rejected a proposal by Federal Shadow Minister Greg Hunt to establish planning commissions to oversee development in the nations capital cities. Council of Capital City Lord Mayors chair, Lord Mayor of Hobart Rob Valentine said less, not more bureaucracy was needed to efficiently and effectively manage growth in Australias capital cities. We need long term, integrated plans for Australias capital cities, plans which are developed and agreed by all spheres of government, Lord Mayor Valentine said. We absolutely agree with Greg on this front. However we dont need a new mega bureaucracy set up to do this.

06 March 2011

A former Bondi 'toast rack' tram, a post office made famous by Ned Kelly, the iconic Zig Zag railway, Old Government House at Parramatta and the hotel featured in a famous Australian movie, are all set to receive funding under the latest round of NSW Government heritage grants. Minister for Planning, Tony Kelly, said the Heritage Council of NSW has recommended more than 300 projects which will share in $7.5 million worth of funding over the next two years. The grants will support important conservation and maintenance works on town halls, churches and local theatres as well as residential, commercial and community buildings, the Minister said.

05 March 2011

The Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Greg Combet, today announced the extension of the Coasts and Climate Change Council until December 2011, saying its principal focus would be on advising government to ensure progress on coastal adaptation. The Coasts and Climate Change Council will have a vital role in talking to wide range of experts, and feeding this valuable information into government policy, Mr Combet said. The extension of the Councils term will enable it to support the Government, which is focused on co-ordinated and effective action along Australias vast coastline in preparing for climate change. It will also support the implementation of key recommendations agreed to in the November 2010 response to the House of Representatives report Managing our Coasts in a Changing Climate: the time to act is now.

05 March 2011

Families now have the proof that the housing crisis in NSW is the result of the Keneally Labor Government's incompetence, said Shadow Planning Minister Brad Hazzard. As The Daily Telegraph reports, the Housing Industry Association [HIA] says NSW has delivered just 30,000 homes a year, 15,000 less than required and that residential building approvals fell 15.9 per cent in January, the worst monthly decline since 2002. These figures confirm why NSW families are finding it so hard to enter the housing market, Mr Hazzard said. Under Labor, owning a home is a fading dream for young families but we are determined to change that.

03 March 2011

A push by Barry O.Farrell and the Coalition to cram more housing in Sydney fringes will undermine Sydney.s food security and threatens a rise in food prices. Local growers are worried the Opposition's plans will finally drive them out of the Sydney basin, with several areas in the Hawkesbury and Macarthur regions under threat from urban sprawl, Minister for Planning, Tony Kelly. Mr Kelly was speaking at Sydney's Flemington markets where he spent the morning meeting with market gardeners and produce growers, discussing the affect of urban sprawl on food prices.

03 March 2011

The historic Old Kings School site at Parramatta will undergo a $24.6 million makeover - preparing it to become a major arts and education precinct for Western Sydney. The landmark redevelopment project will create 215 new construction jobs. Premier Kristina Keneally made the announcement during a tour of the site with Western Sydney Minister David Borger, Arts Minister Virginia Judge and Member for Toongabbie, Nathan Rees. This is the single largest capital investment in arts for Western Sydney by any State Government in the States history, Ms Keneally said.

03 March 2011

Minister for Climate Change and the Environment Frank Sartor today announced a major expansion to the regional park network in Western Sydney. Mr Sartor said the agreement with the Commonwealth for the transfer of 560 hectares of land owned by Airservices Australia at Shanes Park would not only protect endangered Cumberland Plain woodland but also provide more green open space for the people of western Sydney. This land will be transferred to the National Parks and Wildlife Service for protection in the NSW reserve system, Mr Sartor said.

03 March 2011

The Regulation that supports the 2010 amendments to the Coastal Protection Act 1979 comes into force on 3 March - following public exhibition. Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water, Director General Lisa Corbyn said the changes strengthen the management of coastal erosion in NSW and provide additional options for landowners to protect their property.

03 March 2011

Minister for Planning, Tony Kelly said that plans for a $1 billion residential and commercial redevelopment around North Ryde Station in Sydneys inner north will be considered by the Department of Planning. If approved, the development would deliver more than 3,000 new dwellings and over 50,000 square metres of retail/commercial floor space. The 14-hectare precinct is within the Macquarie Park Specialised Centre which is designated in the Metropolitan Plan as a key centre for jobs and housing growth over the next 25 years. Mr Kelly said the proposal by the Transport Construction Authority (TCA) was a clear example of the Government implementing its Metropolitan Plan which has a key aim to better integrate housing with improved public transport infrastructure.