Moved by Councillor Scott, seconded by
Councillor Ellsmore –
It is resolved:
(A) Council note:
(i)
the Coalition set up the Transport
Asset Holding Entity (TAHE) in 2015 to hide the costs of the state’s railways
by shifting billions of dollars of expenses off the state budget and into the
new entity. It got away with it for years, making its budget look better than
it really was;
(ii)
during this time NSW Treasury presented
late, unsophisticated, and inaccurate forecasts to the Audit Office, all of
which sought to support the desired outcome of higher projected returns
regarding the issue of the TAHE;
(iii)
the TAHE currently controls
billions of dollars’ worth of the state’s rail assets including trains,
stations and rail tracks. The 10-year business plan, which was completed in
February, proposes that TAHE diversifies and becomes a property developer and
owner of assets including hotels and food courts;
(iv)
the NSW Government has sold off an eye-watering $774 million worth of
public land across the state in the last financial year, following the sale of
more than 1700 government-owned properties;
(v)
the latest sales statistics, released by the government following
requests from Upper House MLC Daniel Mookhey, means there has been more than
$93 billion worth of public land sold since the government came to power in
2011;
(vi)
NSW Planning sold off a further 85 publicly-owned properties for $3.710
million, Landcom sold 65 properties for $123.245 million, while Department of
Communities and Justice saw 33 properties sold for $11.315 million;
(vii)
the total number of NSW Government-owned properties sold in the
financial year of 2020/21 was 1,733. These types of sell-offs are not
benefiting community members, as it is compromising public space and lining the
pockets of developers. The total sale revenue derived from the sale of NSW
Government-owned properties in financial year 2020/21 was $774,717,361;
(viii)
the most current figures suggest that we now have $93.6 billion in
assets that the government has sold off. This is unacceptable;
(ix)
as of 30 June 2021, the NSW Government owned an estimated $175.2 billion
in property assets which may be further compromised in these sell offs. These
sell offs continue to occur despite the NSW government promising at the last
election that there would be no more privatisation. This privatisation is at
the expense of all taxpayers;
(x)
this government regularly recycles assets to fund its significant
infrastructure program including investment in schools, hospitals, roads, rail,
and support frontline service delivery;
(xi)
on 15 June 2022, The Sydney Morning Herald reported
that the State Government is currently planning to sell off $40 billion in
Sydney Trains rail assets. Additionally, they are also working to build a
hotel, apartments, and student accommodation in the Central Station precinct.
The Sydney Morning Herald’s article states, this forms a part of the “secret plan by the state’s scandal-ridden rail corporation”. This would
include new hotels and the rezoning of more than 50 sites near train stations
in Sydney suburbs for high-density developments;
(xii)
under this plan, land at Redfern,
North Eveleigh and Newtown are currently on a hit-list of sites the Transport Asset Holding Entity (TAHE) plans to sell to
raise funds for future development;
(xiii)
within the City of Sydney area
there will be an acceleration on the work of an $11.6 billion development of 24
hectares of government-owned land. This will be located in and around Central
Station, in addition to 10 hectares at Redfern and North Eveleigh. These areas
are outlined as NSW Government strategic priorities over the next three years;
(xiv)
the plans for Central currently
include 100,000 square metres of hotels, apartments or student accommodation,
and more than 40,000 square metres of shops, restaurants, cafés and bars;
(xv)
if approved, the NSW Government in conjunction with
TAHE will become a mega-property developer by stealth. Once public land has been
sold, it is irreversible and will be at the expense of generations to come; and
(xvi)
on 24 June 2022, the Lord Mayor wrote to David
Elliott, Minister for Transport, expressing concern about the reports to rezone
and sell land within the City the Sydney and requesting TAHE urgently brief
Councillors on its plans to sell, rezone and redevelop public land within the
City of Sydney; and
(B)
the
Lord Mayor be requested to:
(i)
write
to the NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet to denounce the sell offs of public land
within the City of Sydney area;
(ii)
continue
to advocate to save the public land being sold off and continue to oppose this
on behalf of residents; and
(iii)
write
to and engage with Local Members Alex Greenwich, Ron Hoenig, Jaime Parker and
Jenny Leong to advocate that they should also continue to advocate to save
public land and protect assets from being sold off to developers.
The motion
was carried on the following show of hands –
Ayes (8) The
Chair (the Lord Mayor), Councillors Chan, Davis, Ellsmore, Kok, Scott, Scully
and Weldon.
Noes (2) Councillors Gannon* and Jarrett*.
*Note –
Councillors Gannon and Jarrett abstained from voting on this matter. Pursuant
to the provisions of clause 9.4 of the Code of Meeting Practice, Councillors
Gannon and Jarrett are taken to have voted against the motion.
The motion,
as varied by consent, was carried.
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