Category: General

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NSW State Budget Commits More To Planning Projects

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An extra $1b to the Ministry and planning projects

From the New South Wales State Government which has handed down its Budget today:

Budget provides $1 billion for simpler planning, and better infrastructure for NSW

The Hon. Rob Stokes MP, Minister for Planning 23 Jun 2015

Planning Minister Rob Stokes today announced that the NSW Budget will invest $1 billion over four years in planning for the homes, jobs and services NSW needs for the future and making the system simpler and more efficient.

This is part of the NSW Government’s record $4.5 billion investment in the Planning and Environment cluster over four years.

Mr Stokes said the Budget outlines a clear plan for funding infrastructure where it is needed to help create vibrant communities across NSW.

“Providing record funding for infrastructure and amenity is accompanying record levels of housing supply in NSW and will help to put downward pressure on house prices,” Mr Stokes said.

In 2015-16, the NSW Government will invest:

  • $77.6 million to support infrastructure for new homes in The Hills and Blacktown local government areas;
  • $46 million towards new parks, streetscapes and roads to support communities in Priority Precincts;
  • $26 million from the Hunter Infrastructure and Investment Fund to local infrastructure projects, including more than $12 million towards the University of Newcastle’s New Space project;
  • $19.9 million to construct the on-line Planning Portal to make the planning system simpler and easier to use;
  • $16.9 million to halve the time it takes to assess state significant projects, expand community consultation opportunities and ensure there is adequate capacity to assess environmental and social impacts to support the Government’s unprecedented level of investment in transport and social infrastructure in NSW;
  • $19 million to establish the Greater Sydney Commission and deliver the Plan for Growing Sydney.
  • “This investment represents a down-payment on the parks, shops and jobs needed to create distinct and liveable neighbourhoods as Sydney and NSW grow.

“We are investing in a simpler online system by building the Planning Portal – taking the paperwork out of planning for homeowners and businesses.

“The budget provides funding to establish the Greater Sydney Commission which will act to bring a better coordinated approach to planning across metropolitan Sydney.”

For more information please visit www.budget.nsw.gov.au

Interactive Mapping the Budget tool highlights the key areas of spend. You can use the map to explore projects across planning regions and Local Government Areas (LGA), or filter by project type.

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I wonder how things would be handled if we have such Planning Ministries like New South Wales and Victoria. Especially as both State Governments are working through Sydney and Melbourne Plans, and committing billions to infrastructure such as heavy rail.

Meanwhile in New Zealand……

Positive Outcomes from the Recent Economic Summits?

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Will soon see

From Auckland Council:

2015 Tripartite Economic Alliance Summit: Auckland outcomes

The valuable connections made in Los Angeles by the Mayoral-led business delegation this month will boost Auckland’s economy with investment and job creation for years to come.

Mayor Len Brown says that all the business delegates report they got immense value from the summit. Some are now ready or close to being ready to expand overseas to Los Angeles and Guangzhou.

Representatives from 43 Auckland businesses took part in the inaugural Tripartite Economic Alliance Summit in Los Angeles. This follows the signing in November 2014 of the historic alliance, designed to boost economic co-operation between Auckland, Guangzhou and Los Angeles.

Len Brown and councillors Bill Cashmore and Denise Krum led the delegation. Auckland Council organised it with the support of Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED), NZTE and MFAT.

Len Brown says “The summit greatly increased our trade and economic relations, has created exciting export opportunities for the participating businesses and enabled us to share knowledge in crucial areas like transport.”

Len Brown says some of the immediate success stories include:

    • Screen Auckland held discussions with Los Angeles and Guangzhou counterparts and identified potential production opportunities that could be worth up tens of millions to the Auckland economy in the long term. Screen Auckland will be working hard to secure these opportunities.
    • Digital Water, which makes digital water meters, (www.digitalwater.co.nz) secured a meeting with the head and senior executives of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and are now planning a trial for their water meters in LA.
    • A manufacturer of ventilation equipment ,HRV, (hrv.co.nz) met a Chinese counterpart and they are now exploring expanding into the Chinese market.
    • A high-tech business incubator, Astrolab, (astrolab.co.nz) intends to partner with a business incubator in LA, providing a stepping stone for Auckland biotech companies to commercialise and expand in to LA.

All 45 business delegates paid their own way. IQ Commercial (www.iqcommercial.co.nz) is so confident of deals that will result, it expects its sales to North America to grow by at least 20% in the coming year. The increase to their profit alone will likely result in additional annual tax that would easily surpass the costs incurred by Auckland Council to arrange this delegation.

Len Brown says businesses feel that they now have an excellent understanding of how to do business in Los Angeles.

“It has made them think critically about what they could do differently to be even more successful in Auckland and overseas markets.”

During the summit, Auckland’s Mayor held meetings with his Los Angeles and Guangzhou counterparts. They signed a memorandum of understanding between their cities’ ports that will result in greater sharing of best practice and logistics information.

They will begin a formal work plan shortly on a strong collaborative focus over the next couple of years on three broad areas- ports, air routes and tourism and the high- tech sector.

“We will also be pursuing a formal relationship between GridAKL (gridakl.co.nz ) and the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (laincubator.org) , which provides a launching pad programme for international companies in to the LA market.

“The trip underlines how Auckland is fast becoming the innovation hub of Asia-Pacific and is a truly global city.

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A lot can be said whether the trip to LA was of value to Auckland or whether we need to grasp the basics first like planning and transport before such overseas ventures. The type of walking before running stuff.