NSW on top
The benefits of good NSW Coalition government policies for everyone in NSW – in Sydney or the bush – are now showing.
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NSW has recaptured the number one position in Australia for economic performance, topping CommSec’s quarterly economic ranking of states and territories for the first time since 2011.
A few days earlier, Standard and Poors not only officially re-confirmed NSW’s Triple-A credit rating, it took NSW off “negative watch” and that will pay off for NSW with big savings on future borrowing costs to rebuild NSW.
The commonsense, ordinary families of NSW understand these milestones are much more than dry economic talk.
As our NSW Treasurer and Local Member, Andrew Constance, explains: “NSW has got its mojo back. We’re back on top where we should be.”
One lesson from this is that continuing prosperity for NSW does not depend on a resource boom, like in WA.
The other clear lesson is that strong and sustained government budget discipline - done well - does not stop strong economic growth – rather it helps make growth happen.
And sound growth means more jobs.
In the past year, our NSW economy has grown more than three times faster than Victoria – 6.3 per cent.
And although NSW now has the fastest population growth in five years – with around 120,000 new people every year – that has not stopped the NSW unemployment rate staying steadily below the national jobless average.
This is not good luck, it’s good management.
We’re receiving the dividends of more than three years of hard repair work and discipline through Australia’s strongest home finance and construction improvement in NSW; the return of NSW business, economic and consumer confidence; a balanced NSW budget; and a massive program of “rebuilding NSW”.
Premier Mike Baird and Treasurer Andrew Constance are leading the way in rebuilding NSW.
Delivering some of the largest road and rail projects in the nation, while also delivering a major boost outside the big cities with regional health and roads programs and other essential non-metropolitan infrastructure.
New projects like the Batemans Bay link road and the Eden Port re-development.
This is being achieved by reining in government spending and waste; by the long-term leasing of NSW ports, freeing up $4billion extra for rebuilding investment; and – looking ahead - to a further rebuilding investment of up to
$20billion from the sale of three of the electricity distribution networks - if the Baird government is re-elected in just five months from now.
Decent Labor voters can be forgiven for asking themselves how this very positive three-year revival of NSW to the number one leading state stacks up against 16 years of lazy, corrupt and reckless successive ALP NSW governments when the budget was out of control, and investment and confidence went backwards.
Jon Gaul
Tura Beach
Sea level credibility
Aiming to create their own sea level policies, two NSW coastal councils (Eurobodalla Shire and Shoalhaven City) have been conducting an inquiry into sea-level change issues following the NSW Government’s repeal and withdrawal of the former ALP government’s state-wide policy for sea level rise.
The NSW Government has still to complete its SLR policy.
The outcome may have implications for other coastal councils.
The deadline has passed for submissions from the public on Sea Level Rise Policy and Planning Response Framework - a draft report for Eurobodalla Shire and Shoalhaven City Councils by their chosen independent coastal consultants who I identify as “W&A” (Whitehead and Associates).
I studied this report.
My submission explains it is a flawed, biased and misleading paper, and cannot be relied upon.
I am aware that several members of our community have made submissions with similar assessments.
So concerning is it, that I sought help from independent international scientists who having studied the “W&A” report, responded by making their own submission titled “Commentary and Analysis on the Whitehead & Associates 2014 NSW Sea Level Report” by Carter RM, de Lange W, Hansen, JM, Humlum O, Idso C, Kear, D, Legates D, Morner NA, Ollier C, Singer F, and Soon W.
Essentially their conclusions totally repudiate the “W&A” report.
The ESC Mayor’s letter advising me of the “W&A’ report included this, “when the public exhibition period closes, the independent consultants will review submissions received and copies of all submissions will be provided to councillors when considering adoption of the final report”.
For the authors of the “W&A” report, who “have been engaged to deliver the project”, to be the reviewers of the submissions, presumably to prepare an assessment report to councillors when they are considering adoption of the report, would be a gross travesty.
It should not and must not happen.
In terms of ethical decision making the credibility and status of ESC and each individual councillor is about to be tested.
Neville Hughes
Surf Beach