Local Government News

Don Page
State Matters

Northern Rivers villages

The pattern of development in the Northern Rivers region is unique. Historically, the region has developed as a series of villages, and at present three of every five local residents live in one of the regions 300 villages.

With the Northern Rivers featuring in the top ten growing regions nationwide, it is vital that planning for the future of settlement in the region includes the enhancement of these existing villages.

In a speech to Parliament this month I supported the concept of enhancing existing villages, in conjunction with moderate growth in the region's major centres, to allow for a choice of lifestyle, with minimal negative impact on social cohesiveness within these centres. Villages allow residents to live in rural settings, whilst also providing basic infrastructure, services and a sense of community, as well as protecting prime agricultural land.

The success of this strategy depends on the ability of federal, state and local government bodies to plan for and provide appropriate services and infrastructure. Villages are one of the area's key attributes and it is important that the residential amenity of these villages is enhanced as the region's population grows.

NSW Coalition repeals Labor tax

The NSW Liberal/Nationals Coalition Government announced last week it will repeal Labor's increases in stamp duty and land tax announced in the recent Mini-Budget if elected to Government in 2007.

The Opposition will abolish Labor's 2.25% exit stamp duty and reverse the land tax scale, but will maintain the stamp duty exemptions for first home buyers.

This will benefit more than 5,400 residents living in Ballina electorate who currently own an investment property. It will also provide much needed relief for more than 8,000 people renting in Ballina electorate who will suffer increased rents as a result of Labor's property tax increases.

Many local owners of investment properties are 'mum and dad' investors and local businesses owners who have been hit hard by the recently announced property tax increases. The Opposition's plan will provide much needed relief for these property owners.

World Environment Day

Saturday, June 5, is World Environment Day. The 2004 World Environment Day themes is 'Wanted! Seas and Oceans - Dead or Alive?'

On World Environment Day the community is being encouraged to think about ways the world's seas and oceans can be maintained as a healthy element of our living environment.

World Environment Day is celebrated worldwide with colourful activities such as street rallies, bicycle parades, green concerts, essays and poster competitions in schools, tree plantings and recycling and clean-up campaigns.

Further information about World Environment Day 2004 is available on the Internet at www.unep.org/wed/2004.

I can be contacted by writing to PO Box 1018, Ballina 2478 or by telephoning my Electorate Office on 6686 7522 or faxing 6686 7470. For those on-line my e-mail address is Don.Page@parliament.nsw.gov.au

Thomas George
Canberra Connection

Rail Inquiry - June 10 2004

I urge North Coast residents to make submissions to the Upper House Inquiry into the closure of the Casino to Murwillumbah rail line. The Committee will be conducting regional visits and will be in Lismore at the Lismore City Council Chambers, Oliver Avenue, Goonellabah on Thursday, June 10, 2004, from 9am to 5pm. For those who have written to me, I am submitting all individual letters that I have received on this matter for the attention of the Committee on the day. The volume of submissions is extremely important, as will the diversity which all need to be factored into the Committee's final report. I need your support so please attend the inquiry or send in your thoughts to my office.

NLIS

The Nationals, through Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Duncan Gay, believe that delaying the introduction of NLIS for 12 months would give sufficient time to compare what happens in Victoria and refine implementation in NSW. Additionally, allowing more time for the rural industry to be out of the drought and align the implementation timing with Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. The Nationals' are committed to financially supporting the scheme for producers and have called on Minister Macdonald to provide the same assistance. The National's believes the NLIS has great promise as a quality assurance program but not at any price.

School Captains visit

As part of a leadership program organised in conjunction with the Office of the Governor of NSW, the Department of Education and non-Government schools each year, school captains and leaders were recently invited to visit Parliament House. I was very pleased to host a morning tea for the leaders of six local high schools:

Woodenbong Central - Jennifer Hayward; Bonalbo Central - Krystle Oxenbridge and Patrick Moore; Casino High - Scott Shephard and Tiffany Blaydon; Kyogle High - Carissa Fadelli and Jack May; Kadina High - Caisha Alderson and Scott Campbell; Lismore High - Scott Braithwaite and Katrina Mulcahy.

Additionally, the students were in the public gallery of the Legislative Assembly chamber during my address and appreciation of those involved in fighting to save our trains. The students attended a full day of activities that consisted of a tour of Parliament House, followed by a visit to Government House to meet Her Excellency, the Governor, Ms Marie Bashir.

Oath of allegiance

The Nationals are opposing Labor's plans to remove reference to the Queen in the oath of allegiance recited by new parliamentarians. The amendment to the NSW Constitution is being put forward as a Private Member's Bill by Labor MP, Paul Lynch, and has the backing of the State Cabinet and the Labor Caucus. In recent times the Crown has also been removed from atop the NSW Parliament Crest on Parliamentary stationery and there are plans to re-title all Crown Land as "State Land". It was not too long ago the Australian public overwhelmingly voted 'No' to a Republic. Why is it that Labor refuses to accept the umpire's decision? It is time the Premier started focusing his efforts on the real issues rather than imposing his own Republican agenda on the people of NSW.

Call on Carr to repeal tax increases

NSW Leader of The Nationals, Andrew Stoner, is challenging Premier Carr to repeal his increases in stamp duty and land tax. Mr Stoner said a clear difference in terms of economic management and taxation had emerged between the NSW Liberal/Nationals Coalition and Sydney Labor. The Nationals will repeal the Sydney Labor Government's increases in stamp duty and land tax. The Nationals team are committed to repealing Bob Carr's tax increases in its first term of Government, to abolish Labor's 2.25% exit stamp duty and reverse the land tax scale. The Nationals' tax cuts would greatly benefit 'mum and dad' investors and local businesses owners who have been hit hard by Sydney Labor's unfair tax increases. Premier Carr has reaped in $8 billion in unexpected revenues in the last nine years, but has wasted it. Now he is taxing hard working local investors to pay for his mistakes. The Nationals stand for tax relief while Labor is focused only on tax increases.

Teachers shouldn't strike

The NSW Coalition has called on teachers not to strike because it harms students, parents and their own cause. The Coalition has always said that teachers should be recognised for the work they do and part of that recognition should come in the form of increased pay. We have always regarded the IRC as the independent umpire and have said that any decision it brings down must be adopted. The IRC will deliver a final decision on the teacher's case at the end of June and it is extremely inappropriate for the Premier to attempt to bully the Commission to hear additional evidence about the Government's capacity to pay. The Premier's 'incapacity to pay' argument is laughable given the State Government will receive a windfall of $1.1 billion over the next four years in GST revenue from the Federal Government. This is on top of a windfall of $627m in property taxes collected by the Carr Government over the last 12 months alone. The government must honour the ruling by the IRC and the question for Education Minister Andrew Refshauge is 'what services are to be cut if any pay increase is to be funded from within the education department?' He's already sacked 700 people, many of them in jobs providing support for classroom teachers. Is the axe going to fall on jobs again or is he going to eat into funds for professional development of teachers, renege on reduced class sizes or delay the upgrade and maintenance of the crumbling infrastructure of schools.

I welcome and invite your feedback in relation to any of the above matters, please do not hesitate to contact my office regarding any matters on (ph) 6621 3624, (f) 6622 1403, by writing to PO Box 52 Lismore, e-mail; thomas.george@parliament.nsw.gov.au or www.thomasgeorge.com.au