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Media Releases |
Media Release - Minister's Office Sydney: 3 March 2009 NSW GOVERNMENT PLANS TO SUPPORT NATIONAL STIMULUS PACKAGE Planning Minister, Kristina Keneally, today outlined a series of important steps to NSW Parliament that the State Government is taking to deliver the Federal stimulus package. Ms Keneally said changes have been made to the planning system to meet the Federal Government’s tight deadlines under the $42 billion Nation Building and Jobs Plan. $21.5 billion will go to the states for education, social housing, road and rail infrastructure. “This represents a massive investment in a better future for NSW – and the Rees Government will deliver,” Ms Keneally said. “The funding is tied to tight construction deadlines, ensuring benefits for students and public housing tenants translate into stimulus for jobs and the economy. “The changes to the planning system are an important part of our response to this package. They will allow new school and housing infrastructure to proceed within the deadlines that have been set.” Ms Keneally said the NSW Government has: • Extended existing provisions that allow public schools to get 10-day approvals of gyms, school halls and libraries to all schools, including private schools, as long as they conform to set criteria; • Allowed multi-dwelling public or social housing to be considered within 800 metres of any Sydney railway station or within 400 metres of the commercial centre of 32 major regional centres, in order to support the social housing funding; • Enabled Housing NSW to self-assess its development proposals provided they are no more than 8.5 metres high or more than 20 dwellings on a single lot and comply with design guidelines; and • Made home insulation exempt from planning approval across the State under the NSW Housing Code, which began on February 27, allowing people to quickly access the Australian Government’s new $1,600 offer. Ms Keneally said the changes to accommodate the Federal funding were in addition to a range of measures the NSW Government is taking to boost the economy and stimulate job creation. “Since September I’ve approved about $10.5 billion worth of development projects, with potential to create 27,000 jobs. That’s a real, tangible and direct stimulation to the economy,” Ms Keneally said. “And in December the NSW Government announced a raft of changes to state and local development levies, reducing or removing levies which were acting as a disincentive to the housing industry. “The NSW Government is working hard, in a coordinated effort with our Federal counterparts, to deliver jobs, investment and stimulation to the economy during these hard economic times.”
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