Transparency at Newcastle City Council to be ramped up

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Despite Newcastle City Council copping criticism for not being transparent, Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes sees transparency as the cornerstone of any council.

In a bid to restore any lost confidence in civic governance, the Lord Mayor beside her fellow Labor team and the Greens will present an Open and Transparent Governance Strategy at next week's council meeting.

The strategy will see the diaries of the Lord Mayor, Chief Executive and senior managers published in the same way NSW ministerial diaries are published, so the public can see just what the council gets up to. They also plan to create a stand alone communications and engagement unit at council to improve the options for citizen involvement.

Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes believes transparency is pivotal to a successful council.

"An open and transparent governance strategy for the internal operations of council is something that we have been working with the greens on - Labor and Greens together - to make sure that more of the operations of council are acceptable to the public which I think is the right thing to do and great for the city moving forward."

Nuatali Nelmes says the strategy will go on public display so everyone can have their say.

"Everyone will have a chance to have their say in Newcastle on whether or not they would like to add additional measures into that strategy or just comment either way on how they feel about it."

Private health insurance simply unaffordable: iSelect

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Private health insurance gives people the ability to select the best possible care, but Hunter residents are increasingly backing out as premiums continue to increase.

A recent survey of NSW found that around 57 per cent don't have private health insurance because they simply cannot afford it. Of those who are privately insured, around 24 per cent say they were likely to downgrade or completely drop their insurance cover in the next 12 months.

Laura Crowden from insurance watchdog iSelect says there's a significant trend causing the huge drop in those covered by private health insurance.

"The participation rates in private health insurance have been declining for many years. At the same time we've seen premiums continue to increase. So since 2010 on average premiums have risen 50 per cent which really means a lot of people are simply unable to afford those sorts of costs."

With many residents considering dropping out, the insurance watchdog is urging everyone to check their cover and make sure you are insured for what you actually need, otherwise you run the risk of additional tax or extra costs if you do choose to opt out.

Extra costs include the government's Lifetime Health Cover (LHC) loading and the Medicare Levy Surcharge for higher income earners (an additional tax on top of the standard 2% Medicare Levy for those who earn over $90,000 (single) or $180,000 (couple/family) and don't have private hospital cover).

"It's really important people understand the implications of either dropping or downgrading or not having private health insurance. It's not for everyone, but certainly the benefits of private health insurance are greater choice and peace of mind that you're able to choose your own doctor, choose your own hospital and be treated much more quickly for elective surgery," said Laura Crowden.

iSelect say it's really important for those struggling with the costs to have a look at their options ahead of June 30 to see if they can get a better deal.

"So first thing we'd encourage Newcastle residents to not set and forget. Don't just take out a private health insurance policy and then just keep it ticking along without regularly reviewing it because as your health needs change as you're either getting older or starting a family it's really important that your private health policy changes with you."

Now could be the time to buy your first house

BY JESSICA ROUSE

First home buyers in the Hunter now have more incentive to buy a house under the state government's new housing affordability package.

Announced last week by Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald, the reforms will see stamp duty abolished for first home buyers on properties up to $650,000 and a discount on properties up to $800,000.

However, Executive Director of the Housing Industry Association in the Hunter Craig Jennion says in some aspects of the package, the government may giveth what they may taketh away.

"The intention to, in the next couple of years, increase the cost of infrastructure back to the developer taking away from subsidies the state government had been providing, our concerns are that the state government is handing out to first home buyers in one level and giving them a discount, but in a couple of years time that discount maybe actually removed because of the increase in infrastructure costs," in the form of an infrastructure levy.

Scot MacDonald believes the government has found a 'sweet spot' for the Hunter where housing is available at a lower price and the package could really be of benefit. Savings could reach more than $20,000 and he says it just makes buying a house all that more attractive.

"Ontop of that we will also be abolishing the insurance duty on lenders, mortgage insurance. This is aimed fairly and squarely right at people trying to get into the housing market for the first time," said Scot MacDonald.

"We acknowledge that is a step in the right direction particularly for regional locations like the hunter where we do have a great diversity and price points for first home buyers so in most cases first home buyers should very easily be able to purchase a home and pay no stamp duty," said Craig Jennion.

Hunter groups lobbying to save jobs

An alliance of business and union groups has formed to save Hunter jobs

The Australian Industry Group, Hunter Business Chamber, Hunternet and Newcastle Trades Hall Council have joined up to lobby the state government about building train carriages in Hunter rather than buying them overseas.

“Whilst we welcome the announcement and the investment decisions that are going to be made in relation to passenger rail in the future, we’re just mindful of the fact that we don’t want the state government to miss out on what could wonderful opportunity to support manufacturing capabilities in the hunter region,” said Hunternet CEO, Tony Cade.

The NSW government wants to spend $2.8billion on 65 new intercity trains.

“Certainly an off the shelf imported product may present more difficulties than a locally produced high quality product that we have the capabilities and we have the resources to be able to supply” said Mr Cade, “the advantages by having a locally manufactured product include the impacts on keeping capabilities in the region, obviously incomes paid in the regions will contribute to tax”.

The group co-signed a letter to Premier Mike Baird about the issue.

Greens MP: Special Commission lacks direction

Greens MP, David Shoebridge has urged the government not to delay in releasing the report from the commission into child sex abuse in the Hunter.

Mr Shoebridge says the public needs to review the effectiveness of the commission themselves.

“People in the Hunter in particular have been given an expectation of what this report will deal with and assess this institutional failure to deal with child abuse in the Hunter,” Mr Shoebridge said.

The report form the NSW Special Commission of Inquiry into child sexual abuse in the Hunter is expected to be handed down this week.

The inquiry was supposed to look into alleged cover-ups by the police and Catholic Church however, Mr Shoebridge claims the commission focused too much on whistle-blower Peter Fox.

“Peter Fox… has been in the witness box for some 14 days that’s close to institutional abuse of the whistle-blower and it doesn’t seem like anything like the same attention has been applied to the church and the police.”

Mr Shoebidge said the inquiry has become a “side show” and had lost direction.

“Have the inquiry run in a more balanced consideration of, yes, the allegations and the veracity of Peter Fox but also the obvious failings of the church and polices seeming inability to deal with that,” Mr Shoebridge said.

Newcastle CBD conflict of interest

Greens Councillor, Michael Osbourne, has accused the State Government of conflict of interest regarding Newcastle's CBD planning.

The NSW Government has appointed developer Urban Growth NSW to coordinate the planning in the CBD but Councillor Osbourne argues planning should be carried out by the Newcastle community.

Some community members are concerned proposed towers will obscure the Cathedral and should be moved to Newcastle West.

Newcastle Inner City Residents Alliance is meeting 7pm tonight at City Hall to discuss the matter.

Bulga and Rio Tinto Battle Continues

Bulga residents have accused the government of colluding with Rio Tinto to expand the Mount Thorley Walkworth mine.

Rio Tinto lodged an application on November 12 to expand the mine into Saddle Ridge, the natural barrier between Bulga and the mine.

Previously Rio Tinto planned to expand the Walkworth mine to within 2.6 kilometres of Bugla. After challenges from local group, Bulgra Mibrodale Progress Association, the application was over turned by the NSW Land and Mineral Association and is currently being challenged in the Supreme Court by Rio Tinto and NSW Government.

John Krey, vice president of the BMPA, said that the move is a breach of faith.

“The deed in 2003 and the Land and Environment court says they can’t touch [Saddle Ridge],” he said.

The New South Wales Minerals Council claim the expansion has received over 900 positive submissions.

Mr Krey said claims the positive submissions where the result of a marketing campaign by Rio Tinto and the Minerals Councils.

“You can tell the same lie 900 times but that doesn’t make the truth,” Mr Krey said, “we’re only a small town of 350 people; we don’t have the financial resources to do a campaign that the Minerals Councils and Rio Tinto have. So, yeah, they got a lot of submissions but you’ve got to look at the meat of the submission, and I think if you look at the submissions that said ‘no’ to the mine you’ll find there’s a lot of meat in that.”

Tourle Street Bridge Duplication In Doubt

The Tourle Street Bridge duplication may not go ahead under the new government.

The $52 million project was announced a month ago by former Infrastructure Minister, Anthony Albanese.

 

The plan involved duplicating the current Tourle Street Bridge and upgrading a section of the bridge near Cormorant Road on Kooragang Island.

At the time the Liberal party refused to match Labor's commitment.

Newly elected Federal Member for Newcastle, Sharon Claydon, said she will push the Liberal government to match Labor's commitment.

"It will be my role and the role of all the other Labor MP's in the region to get Mr Abbott and his Liberal government to make sure that they honour Labor's commitment," Mrs Claydon said.
 

Cash splash for baths

Newcastle City Council is calling on the State Government to fund $10-million worth of urgent repairs to the City Hall Clock Tower and  Merewether's Ocean Baths.

The loan would include 7-point-5 million dollars to replace steel rods pinned to the clock tower's sandstone facade, which have concrete cancer, and 2-point-5 million to install ramps and reconstruct the promenade at the Baths.

Councillor NUATALI NELMES says it's up to the O' Farrell Government to provide the money for the Baths, as they are located on crown land. 

"The work [at Merewether Ocean Baths] needs to be done but it's unfair on ratepayers that we have to pay interest on a loan to do work on state government land," Cr Nelms said.