O'Farrell dealt appropriately with issues regarding the outrageous changes to planning that have been perpetrated on the people of NSW by Labor. I am paraphrasing but I took his meaning to be that planning consent powers will be returned to elected local councils for most things. Part 3A of the EP&A Act will be repealed. The effect of Joint Regional Planning Panels soon to commence and the loss of local decision making will I believe come back to bite this Government.
In the same vein, O'Farrell is suggesting reducing the influence of big money on the election process by capping election campaign costs. This is sensible and something that I have supported when I previously made my own submission to the Upper House Inquiry into this matter. The system that Labor capriciously implemented following the Wollongong Council scandal is a mess, a mess that is hard to comply with, hard to police, and seemingly causing confusion even within the Election Funding Authority. Let's make it simple - it will be better for all.
I'm not sure what the property industry will make of all this - the risk of losing their newly won power over development consent in NSW & the loss of or at least a reduction in being able to buy influence, particularly with Labor?
To be fair, when it comes to large election campaign donations, there are no clean skins, or very few, particularly amongst the traditional parties - but NSW Labor seemed to take it to a whole new and obscene level; they perfected the system. So, if there is a stench surrounding the new planning laws, where should we look? - it's hard to get away from the powerful perception that at least a few, and some of the most influential in the Labor Party, knew exactly what they were doing.
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