A citizens’ jury that will decide what infrastructure projects should be built and how they should be funded will be set up by Infrastructure NSW chairman Nick Greiner in a direct challenge to the cautious path taken by the O'Farrell Government.

Mr Greiner frustrated at Premier Barry O'Farrell's decision not to sell the $20 billion electricity poles and wires to fund desperately needed public works, will select a panel of 100 people by early next year which are the most important projects the state needs.

But equally importantly, the jury will also look at how projects should be paid for.

Mr Greiner will team up with an organisation called The New Democracy Foundation to write to thousands of people around the state inviting them to help shape Infrastructure NSW's five-year and 20-year plans.

The idea appears partly to force the Premier's hand on infrastructure, with Mr Greiner saying yesterday the process would make it easier for politicians to make "tough decisions".

The move comes after another former premier, John Fahey, yesterday became the latest high-profile Liberal figure to suggest the Premier should have sold the electricity poles and wires.

"I thought Barry had a bit of skating room with the report he got from Tamberlin on the power industry's future, but he stuck to his original decision not to sell," Mr Fahey said. "You can understand that, but I also know there's a crying need for infrastructure at this stage and there's an opportunity to replace one asset with another.

"It makes his other task (to build infrastructure) much more difficult."

Both Mr Greiner and former WA Labor premier Geoff Gallop are on New Democracy's research committee.

Mr Greiner said he had told New Democracy: "Once we have got our plans more developed sometime in the first half of next year, we will use it as a means of consultation as well as talking to normal lobby groups, a citizens' jury or how to pay for stuff and choices of road or rail.

"The key is to try to consult with people but not in things like 'should there be road tolls?' because you get a completely predictable answer.

"You say to an objective group of people 'you can pay for it this way or delay the road for 10 years'. That's what New Democracy is about - trying to help government with what they think are the tough decisions." The thinking behind the citizens' jury, according to New Democracy Foundation chief Iain Walker, is that the process will make it easier for the Premier to make politically tough decisions as he moves to fix the state's infrastructure mess.

"They may say 'we have looked at this in detail and we do want a major suite of public assets sold to raise $20 billion' - doesn't it make it easier for the Premier to make that decision?" Mr Walker said.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/former-nsw-premier-nick-greiner-picks-citizens-jury-to-rule-on-infrastructure/story-e6freuy9-1226213595416

so, Greiner says that he is empowering the people to rule on infrastructure …. gee, thanks Nick. I’m just not sure who ’empowered’ Nick & his New Democracy Foundation mates to make that call?