Matthew Sullivan
Saturday’s NSW state election resulted in a lot more than a new government.
In the run-up to the election, the Liberal government said it would give local councils the final decisions on all residential projects if elected to power.
Prior to the election, the NSW state labor government had the power to overrule local council decisions regarding construction projects.
Speaking to Real Estate Business, Master Builder Association executive director Brian Seidler said the change of government would ultimately give greater power to local councils.
“If changes to the legislation give greater power to local council to make the final decision on building projects this is a good thing,” Mr Seidler said.
“It is still too early to tell exactly how these changes will affect local councils but so far this is a good thing for the community.”
However, while local councils are sure to welcome these changes, many large development projects are sure to suffer.
“Large development projects in many local communities will be denied due to fear and concerns of expansion,” he said.
“This is sure to affect the building and construction industry as well as local communities who need these large scale projects due to the state’s increasing population.”