Lands Minister cannot say whether $11.5 billion of public land will be sold off or protected from corrupt processes
20 February 2024 - The NSW Lands Minister, Stephen Kamper, has ducked questions on the first day of NSW Budget Estimates about whether the sale of up to $11.5 billion in public land would be adequately protected from privatisation and corrupt processes.
Greens MP and spokesperson for Planning and Environment Sue Higginson said “NSW Labor promised voters at the last election that the privatisation regime of the Perrottet Coalition government was over and there would be no public asset sales under a Minns Labor Government. This conviction appears to have completely evaporated.”
“This morning, the Minister was unable or unwilling to repeat that election promise and indicated that the $11.5 billion worth of public lands in NSW could be put up for sale to private developers. If his government truly opposes the sale of public assets, the Minister should be able to guarantee that these public places will not be carved up and sold off to private interests for a profit.”
“What’s worse, Mr Kamper was unable to say whether firm anti-corruption safeguard measures would be applied to the audit and its recommendations. It’s woefully inadequate. We’ve just seen senior planning officials referred to ICAC, with credible evidence they personally benefited from insider information about the government’s housing plan. Unfortunately, officials and developers in NSW have form on this. $11.5 billion of public land is at stake. That demands serious safeguarding.”
“When asked about public housing on public land the Minister feebly recommitted to the target of 30% affordable housing, which he could not define, and social housing, which is privately administered. This government that so stridently opposed privatisation failed to so much as understand the difference between social and public housing. Things are really not looking good.”