Wednesday, 24 April 2024 08:38
COUNCILS WELCOME MOTORWAY TOLL REVIEW
THE peak body representing councils in Greater Western Sydney, the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC), has welcomed the findings of the independent review of motorway toll pricing across Sydney.
Led by Professor Allan Fels (former chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) and Dr David Cousins, the review was set up by the NSW Government in 2023 to examine the basis for setting motorway tolls in Sydney.
The review has concluded that toll reform is preferable to toll relief schemes, which the report says are “expensive and more likely to be claimed by drivers from middle and high-income households”.
Other recommendations of the review include:
• Using legislation to allow the government to take back control of tolls,
• Giving the independent pricing regulator “significant oversight” in setting the price of tolls,
• Charging motorists less the longer they drive on toll roads, and
• Two-way tolling on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Harbour Tunnel and Eastern Distributor.
“WSROC has been advocating for a review of road tolls over many years, urging the government to make toll roads simpler and fairer,” said WSROC President, Councillor Barry Calvert.
“The people of Western Sydney are more greatly impacted by tolling issues than other parts of Sydney, due to their greater dependence on private vehicles resulting from Western Sydney’s lack of equivalent public transport coverage and capacity.
“Also, on average, Western Sydney residents travel further to access jobs, services, and recreation. As a result, tolls represent the second largest cost for most households in Western Sydney.
“In effect, road tolls and the fuel excise constitute a regressive tax, which greatly and disproportionately burden working families in Western Sydney, already contending with soaring energy costs, rents, and food price inflation.”
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Wednesday, 24 April 2024 08:06
LIVERPOOL COUNCILLORS REBEL AGAINST MAYOR
A GROUP of labor and Independent Councillors at Liverpool City Council is concerned about the capacity of the Mayor Ned Mannoun to make decisions in the best interests of the community. The Mayor plans to push through unpopular, unproven, and potentially disastrous staff cuts, including sacking the popular and effective CEO John Ajaka, to fund the construction of a $50M pool in the electorate of Holsworthy, currently held by the Mayor's wife Tina Ayyad, the group says. “This is just another example of the Mayor making increasingly erratic decisions that just don’t stack up,” says Councillor Charishma Kaliyanda. In addition to potentially cutting 150 staff to fund the project which would see service to ratepayers drop, the Mayor is trying to push out current Liverpool City Council CEO John Ajaka, the group says. “Liverpool is a growing LGA, we need a Council that grows with it, to provide the services the community expects. The recruitment landscape is already difficult, Council needs to be attracting and retaining staff to suggest job cuts at this time is frankly bizarre” Councillor Dr Betty Green said.
The groups is made up of Councillor Charishma Kaliyanda, Councillor Dr Betty Green and Councillor Peter Harle.
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Tuesday, 23 April 2024 07:45
WEST FIRM WINS NATIONAL AWARD
PNP Constructions a small business champion
ELIZABETH FRIAS
A SPEACIALIST construction company based in Gregory Hills serving the country’s disability sector has taken the top gong in the 2024 Australian Small Business Champion Awards.
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