Tuesday 30th of April 2024
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state development .....

state development .....

It is a sad commentary on modern traffic engineers that the more they do, the less well traffic flows, as this week's Auditor-General's report on the Roads and Traffic Authority shows, with average driving speeds on our most congested roads steadily declining - especially in north-western Sydney.

Take the historic suspension bridge in Northbridge, over which 30,000 cars stream every day, as cars have done for 116 years. Strathallen Avenue narrows to two lanes on the bridge yet traffic flows remarkably well, even in peak hour.

But it was too good to last. Northbridge residents will rally in protest today against a proposed new traffic light in front of the bridge which will cause traffic jams to spread all over the area.

It is just one more example of crazy bureaucracy in action in NSW. No one wants the light except the developer who is building eight, two-bedroom units and needs a pedestrian crossing to comply with planning laws aimed at increasing housing for the elderly.

Under the state's seniors housing policy, developers can build medium-density units in residential neighbourhoods, bypassing local council controls, if they are designed for people over 55 or who are disabled. Seniors housing must be close to shops and services or public transport. The proposed development in Northbridge is at least one kilometre from any shop so it will not qualify as seniors housing unless the seniors can safely get to the bus stop on the other side of Strathallen Avenue, in wheelchairs if necessary.

That means a crossing with a traffic light, inconveniencing motorists and subjecting locals to stop-start traffic noise, for a handful of people who may never use it. In fact, the Cliff Avenue site is quite unsuitable for seniors, being isolated and on a steep hill and the corner of a busy road. It sounds crazy, but the RTA rubber-stamped the traffic lights in a letter to Willoughby Council in January - as long as the developer paid part of the cost.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/miranda-devine/a-speed-bump-on-the-road-to-progress/2008/12/12/1228585112671.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

a "good win" .....

NSW Premier Nathan Rees say an average 7.5 per cent fare rise from the beginning of next year for train travel is actually a "good win" for commuters.

The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) released its final report on CityRail fares today, with the fare increase to take effect from January 4.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/fare-hikes-a-good-win/2008/12/16/1229189590010.html

“A good win”? Independent?

The Tribunal comprises up to three permanent members & three temporary members, all of whom are appointed by the NSW Premier.

As usual, the fox guards the henhouse in the “premier state”

minister of fleece .....

The NSW Minister for Primary Industries, Ian Macdonald, had the Department of Agriculture spend $4430 on office furniture for his two homes, leaked documents reveal, putting further pressure on the minister, who is already the subject of an investigation into the purchase of a $1299 television set. 

The NSW Opposition will refer the minister's purchases to the Independent Commission Against Corruption and has written to the Premier's Department to ask for the furniture's inclusion in an investigation already set up into the 2005 purchase of the TV. 

Mr Macdonald has offices in Governor Macquarie Tower in the city, in Parliament and in his electorate, and said yesterday that he also needed the offices in his homes in the city and in the country. 

Two Oregon desks ($800 and $785 apiece), a bookcase ($550), a filing cabinet ($580), and two cabinets ($950 and $900), cost $4430 after discount. 

When the Herald telephoned the number on the receipt from Yang Country Furniture, a Department of Primary Industries officer, Bill Anquetil, answered. He said he was seconded to the minister's office in 2003, where his tasks included setting up the home offices at Mr Macdonald's then homes at Carcoar, near Orange, and Northbridge

The Opposition called yesterday for Mr Macdonald to be sacked. It was outrageous that he was using departmental funds to buy such furniture, said the shadow leader of the Legislative Assembly, Adrian Piccoli. 

"Ian Macdonald has got more taxpayer-funded offices than the Governor-General," Mr Piccoli said. "Why a NSW Minister needs five offices simply makes no sense. 

"Ian Macdonald gets paid more than $250,000 a year, he pays his wife [who works for the department] more than $110,000 a year and like every other Australian they should use their own income to buy home furniture - not taxpayers' money. 

"He is acting like he thinks he is royalty, and the most bewildering thing is that he doesn't see the problem with it." 

Mr Macdonald said the department had bought what he was entitled to but he could not name other ministers who had had two home offices paid for from their departments. 

"It's classic American [furniture] circa about 1750 - beautiful stuff, absolutely beautiful," the minister said ironically, before adding: "These are cheap and nasty bits of furniture - not much better than Ikea. 

"I'm totally entitled to have my office set up. I live in the bush, Premier's [office] is a long way away from here, mate. I have to stay in contact." 

Mr Macdonald said he did not have to use his own MP allowances in 2003 to buy the furniture because "in those days" the department used to pay for it and it was the quickest to "set me up". 

"Obviously someone's been [unhappy] with the mini-budget [department cuts] and has [leaked] these very old receipts." 

Mr Macdonald said the television set, which became the subject of the internal investigation after media reports, had never been used at his home. 

A spokeswoman for the Premier, Nathan Rees, said: "The Department of Premier and Cabinet has been asked to make inquiries into the matter, and as such it would be inappropriate to make any further comment."

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/minister-defends-expenses/2008/12/30/1230399211494.html