Save New South Wales | Community
Save New South Wales
Address: 6 Macquarie Street 2000 Sydney, NSW, Australia
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25.01.2022 A letter to the SMH: "Premier, when you say you're "happy to wear the accusation" that your government favoured Coalition electorates when it handed out $250 million worth of grants, do you realise what that means for me and others who live in safe Labor seats? It means I don't matter, that you do not care about the kind of community I live in, even though the tax I pay has contributed to the Stronger Communities Fund. The next time I hear you say that you're working for "th...e people of NSW" I'll know exactly which citizens you're referring to." Very good point. "There is no point being in government if you don't listen to the community." -NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian.
25.01.2022 Imagine if it was a Labor leader in this mess! Imagine if it was a Labor leader in this mess!
25.01.2022 Property developers want to build 390 apartments within the Sydney Park 'superblock'. It's been rubber-stamped by the NSW government, but City of Sydney Council has refused the proposal. Now the developer wants to increase building heights by up to 47% and is taking the City of Sydney to the Land and Environment court. Send a message to the Planning Minister and let him know how you feel: https://actionnetwork.org//defend-the-sydney-park-superblo The community has already ...lost 1.4 hectares of the park due to WestConnex and the 'green space' provided at the St Peters Interchange is contaminated and will suffer dangerous exhaust pollution. Send a message to the Planning Minister and let him know how you feel: https://actionnetwork.org//defend-the-sydney-park-superblo
23.01.2022 Sydney's iconic manly ferries will be removed from service. The large vessels, capable of carrying 1000 passengers and hugely popular with the public and tourists, will be replaced with smaller ferries which have a capacity of 400. The government says the larger 'Freshwater' calsss ferries are too costly to maintain. Hmmm, OK? It must be more cost efficient to run three smaller replacement ferries to match capacity. Oh, and hopefully we won't have to duck on these replace...ments! ;-) But sometimes its not all about the money, but rather the experience which matters. Besides, its a taxpayer funded public service, so maybe we should decide. A spokesperson for Action for Public Transport, said the large ferries were part of the 'fabric of the city', and were an international tourist attraction, and their removal raised concerns regarding capacity, reports the SMH. The Transport Minister said he'd like to try and keep one of the larger ferries running somewhere on the harbour, but "we're yet to make that final determination." Another Sydney resident said of the Government's decision, "They have lost the plot. They know the price of everything and the value of nothing," adds the SMH.
22.01.2022 When is the Sirius, not the Sirius? When it is transformed from public housing, into exclusive (or rather, expensive perhaps?) 'residential palaces'. Here's a sneak peek for what's in store... Sydney's iconic Sirius building is an example of Brutalist architecture. That's what makes it so iconic and unique, for the area. Its deliberate architectural style, is one which typically features minimalist construction showcasing the bare building materials and structural elements u...sed, rather than decorative design. It makes use of exposed concrete or brick, angular shapes and usually a monochromatic colour scheme. But who cares about all of that nonsense, my poor eyes are suffering, they say. That (former) public housing is sitting upon prime real estate. One must be worthy to call that address home. How dare it be made accessible to anyone other than society's most $ucce$$ful!
22.01.2022 Why is Shoalhaven Council ignoring the pleas of residents to pressure the NSW State Government and Environment Minister to reign in the actions of Forestry Corp...oration. Council are ignoring community concerns despite 85% of local forests having been burnt in the fires and Forestry Corproation already being under investigation for breaches of logging rules. Good to see the Mayor Amanda Findley recognising the genuine community concern. Forestry Corporation now wants to go into three more sites in the South Brooman State Forest and intend to close an important local road that will have huge impacts on local businesses. They can't take another hit after last summers fires and now Covid-19. If this isn't a local issue, I don't know what is. About time Shoalhaven Council recognised that business as usual after the fires is just not on when it comes to logging in our damaged local forests. They need help to recover and need leadership from council.
20.01.2022 Plagued by o-n-g-o-i-n-g delays, the NorthConnex tunnel is finally about to open. So start saving - those tolls aren't gonna pay themselves! TOLLS Class A vehicles - $7.91 each way Class B vehicles - $23.73 each way.... For further toll details: https://www.northconnex.com.au/plan-your-trip/toll-pricing
20.01.2022 Ouch. David Pope nails it.
16.01.2022 Well, WE now know about that bit Gladys and WE won't forget.
16.01.2022 The new foreign-built ferries have over one hundred faults affecting wiring, welding, paint and propellers. The Transport Minister says, "covid has shifted the goal posts around manufacturing in a very serious way and Australia's got to look very closely at procurement of its transport vehicles. My preference is to see them built here." For crying out loud! Why didn't you bloody well do that in the first place?! How many more stuff ups will we have to endure?
11.01.2022 "This is a service that should be available to New England residents, north of Armidale by simply reopening the existing railway and extending the service that currently terminates at Armidale." Hear. Hear. Imagine how beneficial it would be, not only for us, but for business, tourism, industry, education, pretty much NSW in general, to have regular, i.e. useful, train services between Sydney, the Central Coast, Newcastle/Lake Macquarie, the Hunter and New England. Now imagin...e the additional benefit of connecting to QLD and Brisbane, and how great it would be to run fast trains on this line! Oh the possibilities! It's just a shame the Sydney... oops, I mean State Government seems to be short sighted on this matter.
11.01.2022 What an extraordinary six weeks it's been for the Premier - our elected "representative", our "leader". "We have learnt about her long-term, on-again-off-again relationship with disgraced former MP Daryl Maguire and discovered that her office shredded and deleted key documents related to the council grants scandal. We have seen her shrug off her failure to isolate while awaiting the results of a rapid COVID-19 test and dismiss pork barrelling on the basis that everyone does i...t and it's not illegal," write Michael Koziol and Tom Rabe. "No, Premier, that is not true. Pork-barrelling, as you damn well know, is using public funds for your own narrow-band political advantage. Your job is to allocate funds according to need, according to what will best help the entire state, no matter which way each electorate voted. And you now say, it’s no big deal that your office signed off a quarter of a billion dollars going to nearly all Coalition electorates? Please. If no big deal, why did your office make such efforts to delete emails and shred the documents? It is outrageous, and you know it," exclaims Peter FitzSimons. Koziol and Rabe add that "more than a few eyebrows are being raised" in parliament about the Premier's judgment. They say that one senior Liberal described things as being "all over the place" and that she should consider taking a holiday. "Some might think that her anonymous colleagues want her out of the public eye ASAP before she makes any more unforced errors. After all, who knows what other inconvenient truths there are for her to tell?" writes a SMH reader. "This is desperate spin from the Liberals. It certainly doesn't pass the pub test," writes another. Is it too much to expect that our elected representatives act in our best interests? That is the definition of "representative" isn't it? Source: https://www.smh.com.au//berejiklian-s-leadership-goes-from https://www.smh.com.au//the-good-and-the-bad-nsw-pollies-s https://www.smh.com.au//nsw-tiring-of-the-premier-s-disreg
08.01.2022 The Maritime Union of Australia raised concerns regarding reduced capacity and "said the Emerald-class catamarans were unable to operate in the five metre swells that the Freshwater-class can when crossing the heads." "This is stupid and counterproductive. Tourists do not want long queues. Do you not ever expect overseas tourists again?" said a commentator on social media. "NOOOOOO!!! Manly won't be Manly without the fabulous old girls." "Very sad to see a Sydney icon disappe...aring." "Anyone who has ever been at Circular Quay in this time has seen the crowds waiting to get on the Manly ferry,'" said others. Opposition leader Jodi Mckay said the decision to replace them with foreign-built under-capacity vessels was a "kick in the guts to both our local manufacturing workforce and to commuters". MUA Sydney Branch Assistant Secretary Paul Garrett said the ferries were an internationally recognised Australian institution, the jewel in the crown for Sydney Harbour. "Families from all over Sydney love getting the Manly ferry from Circular Quay and spending a day at Manly Beach. It's been a tradition for over 100 years." He added concern the government had failed to account for the broader benefits of the ferries, which are a drawcard for tourists. "The problem with this government is that all they look at is the nickel and the dime. They are not seeing the actual benefit that they bring." Northern Beaches councillor Candy Bingham said retiring the ferries would be a blow to Manly because the suburb relied on the tourists they helped attract. Sources: https://www.dailymail.co.uk//Fury-plan-replace-Sydneys-ico https://www.smh.com.au//it-ll-kill-manly-6m-saving-doesn-t
08.01.2022 The CFMEU green ban still stands following revelations the NSW Government plans to demolish and relocate Willow Grove. The Government says the decision has been made and the demolition will still go ahead. "There is no point being in government if you don't listen to the community." -NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian.
07.01.2022 "Emergency services across Australia will be overhauling their warning systems ... in line with a national strategy," reports the ABC. The new system will see a triangular icon used and a colour change for Advice (YELLOW), Watch and Act (ORANGE) and Emergency warnings (RED). The icons will be used for all disasters including bushfires, floods, heatwaves, cyclones and storms.... Source: https://www.abc.net.au//national-emergency-warnin/12933762
07.01.2022 The reality of the new Intercity fleet in NSW
06.01.2022 From the article: "Opponents of Santos’s $3.6bn Narrabri gas project say it should not have been approved given the company has not explained which parts of the Pilliga forest will be cleared or finished investigating what it would mean for local groundwater." If I want to build a house, I have to submit complete and detailed plans. One would think the same sort of requirement would apply to a much larger, and potentially more risky, resource extraction operation.
06.01.2022 "Willow Grove is over 150 years old, made of 150-year-old bricks and 150-year-old timbers. The dismantling of the building will inevitably result in the destruction of much if not all of the original materials. What will be rebuilt ... will be a copy. There is no sensible reason why Willow Grove cannot also be preserved in its current location and incorporated into the new Powerhouse Museum, which would add to the museum's cultural significance and connection to the local ar...ea. There are many spectacular examples from the world where modern museums retain and celebrate cultural heritage," announces the CFMEU. Exactly. It's not just the building which matters. It is also its context. I bet anyone who doesn't care about this building's potential destruction have important and treasured family and/or childhood keepsakes, tucked safely away or proudly on display in their homes... "There is no point being in government if you don't listen to the community." -NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian.
06.01.2022 "It’s no surprise that an overwhelming 96% of public submissions [to the Parramatta Powerhouse EIS] opposed loss of heritage and said demolition of Willow Grove and St George’s Terraces is unnecessary," writes Save The Powerhouse. "What IS surprising is the Government’s unexpected and completely illogical "solution" to this "problem" 'In recognition of the comments regarding the preservation of heritage in Parramatta it is proposed to deconstruct and relocate Willow Grove t...o another location' [This response was] ruthlessly condemned by heritage experts, architects and historians as well as thousands of community supporters, on the grounds that "heritage" means far more than just bricks and mortar, but encompasses a building’s entire site and history." "There is no point being in government if you don't listen to the community." -NSW Premier.
05.01.2022 "This decision to approve the Narrabri gas project ... seems to directly conflict with the NSW government's increasingly renewables-focused energy policy. The federal government approval for the new Narrabri site represents a 20-year development at a time when there is increasing commercial uncertainty for new gas projects producing expensive gas. The decision to approve Narrabri appears to fly in the face of policy and economics," writes Dr Madeline Taylor, an expert in energy and natural resources law at Sydney Law School and the Sydney Environment Institute at University of Sydney.
05.01.2022 Victoria Slashes Stamp Duty. NSW Replaces It With A New Property Tax. Home buyers in Victoria will pay 50% less stamp duty on new homes and 25% less for existing homes, worth up to $1 million. "Too many Victorians [are] without the security and stability of a home, said the Victorian Treasurer.... Meanwhile, NSW will replace the one-off stamp duty fee with an annual property tax. Buyers will have the choice of either paying stamp duty, or opting for the property tax instead. Sure, stamp duty is an unpopular expense for obvious reasons. But be careful. What's worse - paying stamp duty up front or over a few years, or paying a property tax each and every year, year after year, potentially for the rest of your life? Already paid stamp duty on your home, or were exempt? Good. Maybe don't sell. Because if you do decide to buy and the property you intend to purchase already has the property tax applied, yep, you'll have to pay it each year. You can't 'undo' the tax. Oh, and fingers crossed your property value doesn't increase and/or the government doesn't increase the rate. Guess how much more you will pay, each and every year, if it does! Not worried because you rent? Ask yourself, will your land lord pay the tax, or will they pass it on to you as a rent increase? So instead of doing you a favour like in Victoria, the NSW Government wants to instead slug you with another tax for as long as you need a home. Thanks. "Stamp duty is a relic of a bygone era," said the NSW Treasurer. Sure, but at least you don't have to pay it each and every year, year after year, potentially for the rest of your life like you would with a property tax. You are the treasurer, how about you just cut the stamp duty rate instead? Or is that not what you want? Source: https://au.finance.yahoo.com//save-12000-victoria-slashes- https://www.dailymail.co.uk//Victorian-Premier-Daniel-Andr
04.01.2022 Stage 2 of the Parramatta light rail could be scrapped, with the Transport Minister admitting the government is reconsidering plans to extend the line to the Olympic Park and that he'd be a "mug" not to investigate trackless tram technology. So does this mean there could be separate, disconnected services operating here, or will stage one be converted to trackless too??
04.01.2022 More people would use passenger and tourist trains in a year than would cycle on a rail trail. Would people be out riding in weather like we're having at the moment? What about when it snows up there in winter?
03.01.2022 UTTER LUNACY All commentators condemn Willow Grove Frankenstein move plan Read SMH http://tiny.cc/d85zsz and Daily Telegraph http://tiny.cc/a85zsz See also: CFMEU confirm their Green Ban http://tiny.cc/985zsz
03.01.2022 One solution to the problem of hotter suburbs is a 'green roof'. Also known as a 'living roof', basically it is a roof covered in plants. City of Sydney supports green roofs and walls, stating the benefits include: "insulating buildings from heat and noise, cooling city temperatures and reducing the urban heat island effect" as well as providing other civic, social and environmental advantages. So, let's start installing these natural umbrellas!
03.01.2022 Here's a school in outback NSW whose 26 students have become devoted caretakers of a koala population. "We feel a big responsibility to try and keep them alive and keep them safe." Sounds like our future leaders are right here.
03.01.2022 Trees. Nature's umbrellas. But not when the NSW Government steamrolls into town.