Mixed opinions on NSW Premier’s ambitious ‘Greater Cities Commission’, with Newcastle included
A Hunter businessman believes a vision for Newcastle to become part of a ‘Greater Cities Commission’ will help investment and jobs. Others are weary, and want to ensure the Hunter has the right representation.
Newcastle
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A prominent Hunter businessman believes an ambitious future vision for NSW, which would see Newcastle and the Hunter become one of six interlocked cities with Sydney, will bring increased economic investment and more jobs.
Chief Executive officer (CEO) of Hunter based private health insurer nib, Mark Fitzgibbon, said a plan by Premier Dominic Perrottet, outlined at the 2021 Bradfield Oration on Thursday for a ‘Greater Cities Commission’ is a welcome idea, but the benefits can’t be assumed.
“Beyond the rhetoric governments must lead the investment and general assurance that growth is well planned and environmentally and socially sustainable,” Mr Fitzgibbon said.
“The pressures on Sydney haven’t gone away and its growth is arguably now constrained by geographical barriers.
“This initiative makes most sense in relation to the opportunity for growth in the Hunter and Illawarra basins, especially given their proximity to Sydney and existing economic, transport and social infrastructure.”
The ‘three cities’ vision touted by Lucy Turnbull was for Sydney to be interconnected through an Eastern Harbour City, the Central Parramatta River City and a Western City to make it ‘liveable, workable and beautiful’.
Mr Perrottet announced that Newcastle, the Central Coast and Wollongong will also be included in this strategy, and he will appoint a new Cities Minister to oversee that vision expansion.
Mr Fitzgibbon added that town planners have long recognised urban sprawl in Sydney was unsustainable, pushing people out to regional areas but with limited success.
“Way back after World War II, the Cumberland Plan encased Sydney with a “green belt” beyond which it couldn’t expand,” he said.
“However, a growing population and pressures for housing saw it gradually dismantled in following decades, as successive governments both Commonwealth and State, have also invested heavily in decentralisation.”
Business Hunter CEO Bob Hawes admits it’s a “terrific” that Newcastle is being viewed with the same importance as other Greater Sydney catchment cities.
But is weary of how the strategy will be played out and who will be the Hunter’s advocate.
“The success of these announcements are in their implementation, which will include strong, equitable regional representation across all the cities under the Commission,” Mr Hawes said.
“Robust and open governance around appointments to the Commission will be critical.
“The community, business and industry should be consulted closely on who is stating the case for Newcastle and the Hunter region at the Commission level, because we have strong stakeholder alignment here about the region’s potential and future.
“We also need assurance that the Commission will be allowed to give our regional city flexibility to grow and diversify its economy and grow job opportunities based on our own strategic aspirations. “
Although, the vision isn’t sitting well with some.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes is adamant “Newcastle is not part of Sydney” and suggested the city should have it’s own Greater Newcastle Commission.
“Local representation championing our communities needs not another layer of bureaucracy dictating planning outcomes from Macquarie Street,” she said.
“The failure of the Greater Sydney Commission is in its un-elected commissioners and lack of local government and local community input.”
Shadow Minister for the Hunter Yasmin Catley agreed planning decisions for the region shouldn’t be made by a “bunch of Sydney bureaucrats”.
“We all want to make our region stronger but we do that by investing in the area not giving some Minister a new title,” Ms Catley commented.
“We have projects and initiatives ready to go but they have been left waiting for funding by this Premier, in his former role as Treasurer.
“This is not going to deliver better results for our region but simply sideline local decision-makers.”
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