We'd establish an urban renewal authority: ALP

BunLover said :

I have no faith that either side of politics can fix this. The beauracracy is so entrenched, I can’t work out how to get rid of it.

What is needed is effective administration and leadership from the responsible Minister, not structural reform to the bureaucracy. Ministers have eyes. Ministers get feedback from the community. What is wrong with them then ? Are they just dumb ? Are they just swallowed up by the Labor party machine policy ? Are they too scared to put some better structure (pun intended) and planning/consultation into development lest it get in the road of ACT Labor/Greens rushed infill program ?

ACT Labor/Greens have had plenty of time to sort out planning and consultation here – and failed. I doubt they can or want to do better – the proposed Labor Urban Renewal authority is just more window dressing, like the proposed ACT Govt architect is.

I dunno if the “review” by the Libs will change things, but if they do gain Govt here and planning doesnt improve, then vote them out in 2020 too.

Um the government that wasted $1 million of our hard-earned on the faux-hipster Westend monstrosity (and failure – still all but empty of millennials or any other generations during Floriade and the school holidays!) wants us to trust it on urban renewal? What a joke!

I have no faith that either side of politics can fix this. The beauracracy is so entrenched, I can’t work out how to get rid of it.

Several years ago Jon Stanhope tried to get the system to work by rearranging the whole bureaucracy. It did not work – the same people and their culture simply moved around their offices to suit the new structure. The proposal to split will not change anything – the reality is that it is supposed to be two agencies now. Just that both work together to achieve the aims of the treasury/economic office under the same Minister – being the present Chief Minister.

It is about needing new leadership from a Minister committed to the city’s amenities and to quality design (aesthetics and sustainability and affordability). It is not about new structures necessarily – but more about a complete change of culture within the leadership of bureaucracy towards residents and about quality of life. There are still some very dedicated people within the planning and development agencies who fight the good fight from within – but due to all sorts of pressures, most have left to remain sane.

Isn’t be seen to be doing the right thing close to actually doing the right thing?

Its not like we have a Ministers partner actively working for a developer or anything.

“A re-elected Labor government would set up an urban renewal authority”
Translated into layman’s terms, this means they are going to spend a heap of money starting up yet another government department, who will be staffed at great expense by their mates, whilst giving them no real power to make decisions but to simply “advise” and “make recommendations” to the body that is currently supposed to be doing that job.
It’s just another heap of red tape for residents, developers and planners to have to deal with but will not change the ultimate predestined outcomes as agreed to in back rooms and secret meetings.