After two big elections this year it’s clear that the message for elected governments was “get on with the job’’.
It’s no coincidence that both here in NSW and in Canberra we re-elected conservative governments.
There’s a message in there somewhere for our local councils in South West Sydney which will also face the people in a little over a year.
That message is that once elected, forget the warm and fuzzy stuff and just concentrate on what’s important; the things that really matter.
Out here on the edge of the Sydney metropolitan area, the issues of concern are obvious.
Local people first of all want local jobs, which means they want their councils to cut red tape to approve projects that create jobs.
That could include anything from an industrial estate to a business park to high rise commercial buildings.
New housing estates do create jobs but they are temporary, plus the people moving into them will also be looking for local jobs.
They will also need to drive to and from work, so it’s also important both local and regional roads make those trips as easy as possible.
Local councils don’t have any control over trains but they can play a role in the provision of commuter car parking near stations.
Most of the councillors I have met across the South West Sydney region are good people who agree that council red tape can hold up important projects for a long time.
Councillors themselves have very few planning powers these days, which means unelected senior council staff have a far bigger role to play in ensuring projects that create jobs in our region are processed with little delay.
It will be the job of the elected representatives to send that message across to the bureaucrats.
- Our local MP Greg Warren deserves to be congratulated for taking on a wide ranging shadow ministry role under new NSW Labor leader Jodi McKay.
The Campbelltown MP, a former soldier (pictured), accepted a request from Ms McKay to serve as veteran affairs, local government and Western Sydney spokesman.
Mr Warren is one of the hardest working MPs I’ve ever met in 40 years of covering politics, and this means he will be going to an even higher level of commitment over the next four years.
Well done and good luck, Greg.
