Monday 19 September 2016

We’ve Moved, Business Voting, Sirius Green Ban, Moore Park Plan, Crown Lands Report, Rabbit Cruelty and Queer Screen Films

We've Moved

We’ve moved! My electorate office is now at Ground Floor 21 Oxford Street Darlinghurst. The new telephone number is 9267 5999. Email and website contacts stay the same. Drop in and say hello!

Business Voting

Following the City of Sydney election which saw resident voters angry that businesses got double their votes and business voters concerned about complex legislative requirements, I asked the Premier to work with the City of Sydney on a fairer and more efficient way to encourage business participation in City of Sydney elections. The Premier did not commit to improvements however he did congratulate Lord Mayor Clover Moore on her win. My question is HERE.  

Sirius Green Ban

Congratulations to the NSW Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) for placing an interim green ban on redevelopment of the Sirius building. I joined Lord Mayor Clover Moore and Opposition MPs at the weekend rally to protest the sale and demolition of this purpose-built social housing and have agreed to be a Sirius Ambassador to support the community campaign to protect inner city low cost housing. You can sign their online petition HERE. 

Moore Park Plan

The draft Moore Park Master Plan 2040 includes important proposals to green parts of Moore Park and make the precinct more accessible, however my submission argues that there is too much focus on activation and organised sport with little to expand public open space for walking, jogging and picnics. I opposed alarming proposals to change planning controls on the Entertainment Quarter for short term accommodation to create demand for bars and restaurants and for buildings adjacent to the ES Marks Athletic Field.

While event parking on Moore Park east is to be phased out, it will be dispersed elsewhere in the precinct including on a multi-storey car park at the golf course. Urban consolidation will bring tens of thousands of new residents to the region in need of open space for passive recreation and providing this must be the primary role of Moore Park.

My submission is HERE. 

Crown Lands Report

The NSW Auditor-General’s scathing report on Crown lands management vindicates community concerns about poor oversight, lack of transparency and leases that may not be in the public interest. The Paddington Bowling Club is given as an example of these failings.

The Auditor-General says the Department’s business plan prioritises economic and financial outcomes over social and environmental outcomes.

The audit found the Department of Industry – Lands has just started monitoring whether tenants comply with lease conditions, does not know what is happening on most leased Crown land and is not following policies on rental rebates, unpaid rent and rent redeterminations. In the three years to 2015, nearly all leases and half of sales were negotiated directly with an individual, with no public expressions of interest. There are limited chances to participate in decisions about Crown land and limited public information.

The Auditor-General’s report is HERE.  

Rabbit Cruelty

Battery rabbit farming is very cruel: rabbits are kept in tiny cages without fresh air, sunlight, room to move, earth to dig or access to their young. Crammed conditions, rotting carcases from bunnies that fall through wire flooring and insects plaguing facilities allow diseases like myxomatosis – which it is illegal to vaccinate against – to spread, and this is a major health concern. There is always a risk that undesexed bunnies can escape. It’s time to end this suffering. View the Channel 7 report HERE.

Queer Screen Films  

Join me at the Queer Screen Film Festival, with 12 films from 20-25 September. Information at queerscreen.org.au.