Tuesday 1 May 2018

Payroll Tax, Powerhouse Plans, Westconnex Deals, Recycling Fail, Paddington Pubs & Coming Events

PAYROLL TAX

I’ve supported the campaign for an increase in the Payroll Tax threshold to support smaller businesses employing staff. The current threshold is $750,000 and I’ve asked the NSW Treasurer to consider increasing this to $1 million and simplifying administration of the tax.

POWERHOUSE PLANS

The Powerhouse is a much loved museum and has attracted a strong community campaign to save it. Keeping parts of the collection in a design and fashion museum on the existing site and a new theatre is a welcome retention of cultural assets in Ultimo but community concern remains about how the government will fund the costly relocation of artefacts and what this means for planned sale and redevelopment of part of the Ultimo site. We still haven’t seen the full business case and I am concerned that it will require overdevelopment of part of this public site.  A ’summary’ of the business case is HERE.

WESTCONNEX DEALS

The most destructive part of the WestConnex project – Stage 3 – has received planning approval despite clear community objection and evidence that it will result in disastrous traffic congestion and air pollution. The Rozelle Interchange and tunnelling between Haberfield and St Peters haven’t even been designed, giving the soon to be privatised Sydney Motorway Corporation broad flexibility to build. I am concerned deals will aim to increase the sale price at community expense, such as commitments to underwrite tolls or not build public transport, and I will ask questions in Parliament this week.

The project keeps expanding, with impacts spreading including the loss of Moore Park land to widen roads to deal with cars coming off the St Peters interchange and 24-7 shipping at Glebe Island to supply concrete for the project. The environmental cost for the community and the financial costs for future governments are astronomical. There’s an emergency protest at Parliament House today Tuesday 12.30pm.

RECYCLING FAIL

China’s decision to stop taking our recycling could either become a waste disaster or be an opportunity to create a more sustainable waste management system. We will only achieve the latter with strong leadership and I’ve asked the Minister for the Environment to support mandatory product stewardship to reduce packaging and increase the recyclable content of products, and to use waste levy funds to build new plastic recycling plants. My questions are HERE.

PADDINGTON PUBS

A number of people have contacted me about the liquor licence removal and sale of the Four in Hand Hotel in Paddington. I’m not aware of any restrictions on this process and have written to Woollahra Council asking for review of the Woollahra LEP to protect Paddington’s traditional corner hotels. My letter is HERE. 

There’s an online petition you can sign HERE.

COMING EVENTS

Wednesday 2 May is Domestic Violence Remembrance Day; the Sydney event is 11am at Parliament House. Information HERE.

The May Day Rally & Family Fun Day is Sunday 6 May from 11am at Hyde Park North, Information HERE

Dementia Australia’s Memory Jog and Walk is Sunday 6 May, with the Sydney event from 8am at Leichhardt Oval Lilyfield. Information HERE.