Greens push for affordable homes

The NSW Greens have introduced a bill into the Legislative Council that would allow councils to require up to 25 per cent of new multi-unit housing developments to be set aside for affordable housing.

The housing would be managed by councils, non-profit housing organisations or the Department of Housing. Rents would be limited to 30 per cent of the tenants' income.

The Greens say that the scheme is "by no means radical", with similar ones operating in Britain, the US, France and Japan. The developers' contribution could be monetary or in the form of housing units, they say.

The Greens' planning spokeswoman, Sylvia Hale said, "The bill is aimed at providing more affordable housing for low- and moderate-income earners. Councils can set their own target [from] 1 per cent to 25 per cent, based on housing needs.

"Recent statistics rate Sydney as the seventh least-affordable city in the world. Where will Sydney be when key workers such as teachers, nurses, police and aged and child-care workers can't afford to live here?" Ms Hale said.

There were already limited schemes operating in NSW. "One success story is the affordable housing run by City West Housing Company in inner Sydney. The Greens' bill removes the obstacles to the expansion of these types of schemes."

Ms Hale said councils are at present hamstrung by the requirement that a scheme be listed by the Minister for Planning in a State Environment Planning Policy. The previous and present planning ministers had not approved any new schemes, and when a council had asked it had been refused, she said.

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ICAC recommends criminal charges

The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has released its final report into corruption at Wollongong Council and is recommending that 11 people be charged with criminal offences.

The commission has asked the Department of Public Prosecutions to look at prosecuting the former Wollongong council planning officer Beth Morgan.

The commission found she abused her position to provide favours to developers with whom she was intimately involved.

ICAC also made corrupt conduct fndings against the developers Frank Vella and Bulent "Glen" Tabak, as well as senior council staff and former councillors.

The first ICAC report, released in March, questioned development consents granted by senior planner Ms Morgan to developers Frank Vellar, Glan Tabak and Michael Kollaris.

It also investigated alleged corrupt conduct by four ALP councillors, including former deputy mayor Kiril Jonovski.

It recommended the council be sacked.

The second report delivered a month later recommended suspension of a development application for the $100 million Quattro development.

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Labor suffers swings in local govt election

It has been a bad night for Labor in New South Wales, with swings against the party in many of the local government elections.

Candidates say the State Government has been a big problem for the party.

The Greens have done well in many of the key battlegrounds including the Sydney councils of Ashfield, Leichhardt, Randwick and Waverley.

Independent and the Liberal Party have also done well in many key local government areas, including Hurstville and Canada Bay in Sydney's west, and Gosford to the north.

In the City of Sydney, Indepent Clover Moore will comfortably retain her job as Lord Mayor.

Labor candidate Meredith Burgmann says the result reflects recent upheaval and scandal in the state Labor Government.

"It was very hard campaigning in the circumstances of a Labor government in turmoil," she said.

The final count for all councils is not expected to be known for up to a fortnight.

Voters urged to write 'no sale' on ballots

The Greens say they will try to make this month's local government elections a referendum on the sale of the state's electricity retailers.

John Kaye says the Greens are urging people who oppose the plan to write 'no sale' on their ballot paper at the council elections in two weeks.

He says the Greens have written to the NSW Electoral Commissioner to ensure the ballots will be counted.

"We will have scrutineers in almost every polling booth in NSW who'll be counting this," he said.

"We'll be sending a strong message after the election to the Iemma Government that they are absolutely standing to loose out badly if they don't back off on privatisation."

Mills concedes defeat in NT election

Northern Territory Opposition Leader Terry Mills has officially conceded defeat to Paul Henderson and Territory Labor.

The likely outcome of the election is 13 seats to Labor, 11 to the CLP and one independent.

Chief Minister Paul Henderson held a press conference and while stopping short of claiming victory, he described Labor's prospects as very good.

He says he has learned lessons from the swing he suffered, but declined to outline exactly what they were.

"Mistakes have been made in the election campaign, I acknowledge that, I take those on my shoulder," he said.

Greens call for Royal Commission: NSW development

The New South Wales Greens say new concerns about the ICAC investigation into Wollongong Council are valid, after comments by standover man Ray Younan.

Mr Younan has said he had sources inside the ICAC team, who leaked sensitive information to him before the scandal was made public.

Mr Younan is currently living in Lebanon after he failed to appear before the inquiry in February. A warrant for his arrest has been issued.

Greens MP Sylvia Hale says her party's concerns will not be alleviated until there is a Royal Commission into the development process both in Wollongong and across New South Wales.

"I think there's been a failure to follow up on the activities of a number of people who have been persons of interest in the community but whose ... involvement in corrupt activities has not been properly investigated or brought to light," she said.

Dog patrol tensions at Ceduna

Related Story: Town enlists security dogs to tackle violence, drunkenness
The use of dog security patrols at Ceduna on South Australia's far west coast has been likened to gestapo tactics by the Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement (ALRM).

The council has introduced patrols to counter anti-social behaviour.

Mayor Allan Suter says it is not aimed at any racial group in particular.

ALRM chief executive Neil Gillespie will meet the council about his concerns.

"I think that it's targeted at Aboriginal people - to bring in the gestapo-type guard dogs again I repeat it's a racist action," he said.

Mr Suter says he wants an apology over the unfair comparison.

"I'd also like to point out dogs are used in city areas for similar purposes but people just like to sensationalise and try to make a racist issue out of it," he said.

"Well it isn't racist, it isn't targeting any particular group of people, it is targeting people who are committing offences."

Red-eye rule: planning law 'rammed through'

Frank Sartor Planning Minister

A controversial NSW planning reform bill was passed in the Legislative Assembly in the early hours today.

The bill went through at 2 am after a long debate and amid criticism Labor forced the changes through while the public's attention was focussed on the state budget.

The changes will transform the way planning is done in the state.

Opposition planning spokesman Brad Hazzard said it was the biggest bill the Government had introduced in the past few months "and they've rammed it through under the shadow of budget day".

Opposition to the planning reforms is gathering pace, with a survey of more than 8000 ratepayers showing overwhelming disapproval of the proposed changes.

A plebiscite of Baulkham Hills Shire ratepayers found that 84 per cent opposed the proposed changes, which would give government-appointed panels control of development applications, overriding councils on the matter.

Mr Hazzard said the Opposition would be calling for an Upper House inquiry once it had passed the Legislative Assembly.

The president of the Shires Association of NSW, Bruce Miller, also condemned the timing of the debate, given the bill was tabled a fortnight ago.

"The major concern with all of this is we do not believe it will stand up to public scrutiny," he said.

A spokesman for the Planning Minister, Frank Sartor, said yesterday: "There's no surprises and no attempt to hide anything at all. It's all out there and has been for some time."

The Baulkham Hills Shire plebiscite also found that 83 per cent opposed the appointment of independent certifiers to evaluate the work done on developments and 89 per cent were opposed to proposed changes which would force councils to change the way developer contributions to council are administered.

The plebiscite was sent out to 53,841 ratepayers with 8600 ratepayers responding.

"The results indicate that our ratepayers are concerned about losing their current community role in participating in the future development of the Shire," Baulkham Hills Shire mayor Sonya Phillips said.

"Nearly nine out of ten respondents do not want the State Government to be the primary determining body in local development."

NSW councils have been critical of the changes, which will transform the way planning is done in the state.

NSW to act on corruption findings

'Seriously corrupt': Beth Morgan

The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has found former council planner Beth Morgan and her ex-lover, developer Frank Vellar, engaged in corrupt conduct.

Ms Morgan slept with and received bribes from Mr Vellar and other developers while assessing their applications.

She approved Mr Vellar's $100 million Quattro development during their affair.

The ICAC says the pair's actions could constitute criminal offences punishable by jail.

It has also recommended Planning Minister Frank Sartor suspend the consent granted for the Quattro development, which it says grossly exceeded council standards.

Mr Sartor says consent has already been suspended until June 18.

"If I have to exercise my powers to suspend the consent for another six months, then I will do so," he said. "I will have no hesitation in taking ICAC's advice on board."

Premier Morris Iemma acted swiftly on a previous recommendation to sack Wollongong Council in March.

The Greens say the ICAC investigation demonstrates the need for a wider look at corruption in the NSW planning process.

'Lovers' scheme'

ICAC Commissioner Jerrold Cripps QC called for prompt action in a statement earlier today.

He said Ms Morgan failed to properly asses the Quattro development application as part of a scheme with Mr Vellar.

The ICAC said Mr Vellar requested Ms Morgan be assigned to assess the application when she returned from maternity leave in March 2004.

It said she began a sexual relationship with Mr Vellar two months later.

The watchdog said he gave the planner gifts and benefits worth thousands of dollars, including cash, holidays and home appliances.

The findings are included in the second report released as part of ICAC's investigation of 14 people over Wollongong Council's planning processes.

The first report recommended the council be sacked in March, after 11 days of evidence about breaches of the council code of conduct on planning matters.

A final report will be released later this year.

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Disabled 'deserve secret ballot'

The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission says it is time for New South Wales to introduce better voting methods for people with disabilities.

The call comes after the New South Wales Electoral Commission was found to have discriminated against a blind man, who was not able to cast a secret ballot in braille during the 2004 local government elections.

Darren Fittler asked for an application in braille four weeks before the Randwick City Council election so he could vote in secret.

But the commission failed to provide him with one.

The New South Wales Administrative Decisions' Tribunal ordered the state electoral commission to pay $5,000 for hurt and humiliation suffered.

The Electoral Commission says it will offer ballot papers in braille in the future.

But Human Rights Commissioner Graeme Innes says New South Wales lags way behind other states and territories in providing equality.

"This is a real wake-up call for the New South Wales Electoral Commission," he said.

"Many of us have been drawing it to their attention for some years. It really sends a signal that it's about time that they let everyone have a secret ballot and not just the majority of people in New South Wales."

Quote: The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission may be right here but everyone knows that they are just another stooge and arm of government and will only push what the government will allow them to. In other words if it is too hard for them and the government won't allow it then they wouldn't take any legal action to providing equality. So I particlularly don't think there is any need whatsoever to give them any credit, at all, for the likes of this article, opposed to all the other inequality and human rights abuses, right under their noses, that they have overlooked, especially during the John Howard government. For the likes of Graeme Innes all human rights abuse and inequality is a real wake up call for Australia. Not just when someone else has to take the action. Quote: "Many of us have been drawing it to their attention for some years."

Court overcrowding 'inviting violence'

The Federal Government has been told that overcrowding at Newcastle Family Court is creating a volatile situation that invites acts of violence.

Newcastle's family court services half of New South Wales and has one of the highest rates of security breaches in the country.

Nine years ago, a man stabbed his wife outside the court.

Member for Newcastle Sharon Grierson says every year security guards deal with clients threatening to kill people, or trying to bring in weapons, "from syringes, to screwdrivers, to knives".

She says a new building is urgently needed because the current one does not have enough courts for hearings or room to separate people caught up in acrimonious disputes.

"Everyone is mixed in together in a volatile situation and that's one of the reasons that the security risk is so high," she said.

"People have loitered and tried to attack each other."

Family Court of Australia chief executive officer Richard Foster says a recent national review of court facilities identified Newcastle as a top priority.

"The design of the court doesn't meet contemporary standards and needs changing because people just don't feel safe going to court," he said.

Family lawyer Judith Olsen says the court is too crowded to interview clients in private.

"They have to sit there with the other person walking up and down in front of them, or sitting in close proximity staring at them," she said.

"I've seen people who are obviously very, very disturbed, or very, very distressed attempting to intimidate them.

"It is not a dignified surrounding for people's matters to be dealt with."

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Quote: Once again this is a clear admission by the court of what acrimonious disputes, divorce and family separation cause in terms of domestic violence. Overcrowding always causes problems no matter where you go even in prison. But in a sense it wouldn’t matter where you put the next family court or even how you designed the facility because the 'mood' would always be the same. Perhaps it’s the very 'idea' that causes the problem and not the court, facilities or design so much because no other Family Court would be immune?

Question: What can be done to reduce acrimonious disputes, divorce and family separation? Wouldn't that help fix the problem too? Prevention is better than cure.