The Housing Industry Association (HIA) in the Hunter is hitting back after the state opposition called for a ban on real estate agents and developers from running in local council elections.
The legislation would aim to avoid another electoral donations scandal like that in the Hunter in 2011, and the opposition maintains allowing real estate agents and developers to make decisions about property and planning matters creates a major conflict of interest.
HIA Executive Director Craig Jennion disagrees, and believes it is really short sighted to say people in these professions shouldn't be involved just because of the occupation they work in.
"From the simple matters like what is a small or medium business and often they also handle very complex strategic plans and projects, they're involved with intricate financial matters, they have to market projects to the general public - these are skill sets and experiences which are highly desirable to local government," said Craig Jennion.
Measures like checks and balances are already in place to avoid any conflict of interest influencing decisions on council, and HIA believe that should be enough.
"The view that individual councillors have the capacity to influence a council vote on matters that will benefit them commercially is completely ignoring many of the checks and balances that are being developed in our system planning proposals where conflicts of interest exist have to be declared," said Craig Jennion.
