Planning Minister Rob Stokes needs to show leadership to boost economy say developers

Sydney is grinding to a halt with projects that would generate billions of dollars for the economy stalled under the go-slow watch of planning minister Rob Stokes.

Sydney and NSW is grinding to a halt with projects that would generate billions of dollars for the economy stalled under the go-slow watch of planning minister Rob Stokes.

Council planning approvals are down by up to 75 per cent in some areas and builders are sending workers home.

“Planning in NSW has never been so uncertain and we can’t see any leadership,” Meriton boss Harry Triguboff said.

Sydney and NSW is grinding to a halt. Picture: Adam Yip

He said Meriton has applications held up in the planning system that would “generate 10,000’s of jobs and billions of dollars in council, state and federal charges and taxes.”

“Our production levels are the same as they were 20 years ago and we are sending our good workers and contractors home, and we are not the only ones,” he said.

The vetoing of a luxury $500 million Ritz Carlton hotel tower at Pyrmont is just one of many projects stalled or stopped including massive developments in St Leonards, Crows Nest, Macarthur and Rhodes.

Planning approvals are down by almost 75 per cent in some council areas.

“It is clear that housing approvals are collapsing across Sydney,” Chris Johnson, chief executive of the Urban Taskforce said.

“The City of Sydney approvals are down 59 per cent compared to two years ago and Ryde approvals have dropped a massive 74 per cent compared to three years ago.”

Since the election the NSW Government has changed its priorities from delivering 90 per cent of housing approvals within 40 days and 61,000 housing completions a year to increasing green public spaces.

The City of Sydney approvals are down 59 per cent. Picture: Sam Mooy

“The message the industry is getting from the NSW Government on planning is to go slow and that local character must be preserved,” Mr Johnson said.

“But Sydney is growing from five million people to eight million in the next 40 years. We need leadership on how the extra three million people will live.”

Jane Fitzgerald, NSW executive director of the Property Council, said: “The NSW Planning system over time has become the worst in the country characterised by delay, cost, lack of transparency and uncertainty of outcome.”

“The Property Council has raised its concerns with Minister Rob Stokes,” she said. “Currently, the NSW planning system lets down the communities it is meant to serve as well as the industries that need a fair and predictable process.”

Minerals Council chief executive Stephen Galilee said approval times in the mining industry had more than doubled to more than 1000 days while capital expenditure has dropped by $3.5 billion over the last decade.

“The NSW planning system has become a threat to investment in NSW,” he said.

“There are 25 mining projects in the planning system right now, worth $12 billion in investment and around 13,000 jobs.

“Yet the uncertainty in our planning assessment process is putting these future projects, and the jobs and investment they can deliver at risk,” Mr Galilee said.

Minister Stokes said: “Since November 2014, the Department has halved assessment times for State Significant Developments from 298 days down to 146 days, while maintaining environmental standards and community engagement.

“These major projects have generated more than $94 billion in capital investment and created more than 239,000 jobs,” he said.