What is the Sydney Commission?

BY JACK SMITH
The Greater Sydney Commission is set to be established later this year, with the state government confident that legislation will pass.

The commission’s aim, quite broadly, is to “work closely with councils and communities, helping Sydneysiders to get the most out of their neighbourhoods and suburbs”. Put simply, it is a planning committee that will help oversee the development of the Sydney area.

The committee will have 13 representatives, with one from each of six regional districts, a chair person, an economic commissioner, a social commissioner, an environment commissioner and a representative from the Department of Planning and Environment, Transport for NSW and the NSW Treasury.

The district commissioners will be represented by their local government officials. They will advise the government about the best way to manage their own areas and plan for future development, conducting reviews of environmental plans and rezoning proposals.

Greens Local Government MLC David Shoebridge slammed the commission, pointing to the undemocratic nature of its composition.

“People may not like their local councillors or their planning minister but at least they can throw them out at the ballot box,” Mr Shoebridge said.

“This will be a bunch of bureaucrats who’ll be entrenched by statute making decisions that will fundamentally change your neighbourhoods – that’s taking democracy out of planning,” he said

The Commission is based off of the Greater London Authority in England, established in 1999.

NSW Premier Mike Baird said that NSW could benefit from following the English authority’s lead.

“Other major jurisdictions such as London have shown the way on how to better manage urban growth and provide choice and opportunity for housing and employment,” Mr Baird said last year.

“Major infrastructure projects like WestConnex extend across several council areas, so the Greater Sydney Commission will ensure planning for Sydney’s future is done in a holistic way.”

A priority for each district will be to manage affordable housing. The commission will be looking to aiding local and state government in this area.

Legislation for the Greater Sydney Commission will be brought into state parliament later -this month.