Concerns over Newcastle City Council's Labor-Greens alliance have been expressed by the Property Council of Australia's Hunter branch.
The concerns come following a decision made at last night's Council meeting to delay community consultation on the former rail corridor until a report detailing traffic and public transport data is made available for viewing.
According to the Property Council, it is the second time in two weeks that the same voting bloc has held up progress for the Newcastle CBD- referring to Council's refusal two weeks ago to pitch-in funding for a 30-unit affordable housing project aimed at 'key workers.'
Hunter Director of the Property Council, Andrew Fletcher, says the Labor-Greens alliance are delaying progress in order to side-step community consultation and avoid contention in the lead-up to this year's local government election.
"With local government elections coming up in September this year, it smacks of delaying tactics.
It would appear that there are a number of councillors who just don't want to have any contention before the elections, they'd like to see some clear political air.
"It's nothing more than scoring cheap political points at a time when their civic duty is to maintain momentum in transforming the city centre."
The Property Council have also taken aim at Lord Mayor, Nuatali Nelmes' decision to remove support for UrbanGrowth NSW's affordable housing proposal after voting for it in October last year.
"It's difficult to understand the Lord Mayor's position...It's just impossible to understand why, when the state government is willing to throw close to $20 million into public domain improvements along the foreshore and in the CBD, why Council would snub their nose at that kind of investment just beggars belief."
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| Artist's impression of affordable housing along the former rail corridor. Image source: Newcastle Herald. |
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| Hunter Director of the Property Council of Australia, Andrew Fletcher. |
