Member for Kiama poised to replace Sartor in Cabinet reshuffle
MATT Brown, the Member for Kiama, is widely tipped to be sworn in as the new Planning Minister at midday, replacing the Frank Sartor.
After the NSW caucus meeting yesterday, it was confirmed Mr Brown had been returned to the Ministry in a more senior position, most likely the Planning portfolio.
Final confirmation of the new Cabinet line-up was not available yesterday, however Mr Brown was tipped to take either Planning or the Finance portfolio.
Horse trading over the make-up of the Rees Ministry was well under way yesterday, with new ministers expected to be sworn in today.
Mr Brown’s expected elevation to the planning role brought a mixed response yesterday.
Shoalhaven Mayor Greg Watson, who had a stormy relationship with the outgoing Planning Minister Mr Sartor, welcomed the promotion, describing it as a “tremendous outcome”.
“Matt is a tremendously approachable person, very honest, and he certainly won’t stuff around when there’s jobs on the line,” Cr Watson said.
“Matt will adopt a hands-on approach and this is an end to the bureaucracy dictating all the outcomes. This is good news, no matter what side of the fence you sit on.
“There could not be better news for this region.”
Member for South Coast Shelley Hancock greeted the news with apprehension.
“This is putting the fox in charge of the hen coop,” she said.
“There is no doubt that Matt Brown has been absolutely pro-development on a lot of issues, such as the jail, the Shaolin temple in its previous form as a massive residential development at Comberton Grange.
“I really fear that we will now see some progression of high rise development in the Shoalhaven. Matt Brown is well known for support of development.
“He can bring the Chinese here to look at a property that had been rejected for residential subdivision, that had significant environmental restraints.
“That is a worry. Matt Brown is into gung-ho development at any cost.”
Mrs Hancock said the entire South Coast needed to be concerned because big developers were eyeing off the region.
Mayoral candidate Dennis Argall hoped Mr Brown, as Planning Minister, would listen to the views of the community.
“I look forward to an early opportunity to speak with the minister so as to bring him into sharper focus with the real needs of the Shoalhaven, which are not useless scattered subdivisions but adequate infrastructure and the development of Nowra and Ulladulla.
“I am sure that under the new strong leadership of Premier Rees more sensible perspectives will prevail,” he said.
Councillor Gareth Ward called on Mr Brown to immediately approve the North Nowra link road.
“At the last election, the Member for Kiama promised he would see this project approved. Now he’s got the power to do something about it, it’s time to come up with the goods,” he said.
Cr Ward also urged the new minister to throw his support behind development of the Nowra riverfront and to intervene in the Huscorp affair.
“The residents of our city do not want a nine-storey building at the entrance to Nowra and it’s important that the minister ensure that any hotel development occurs along the waterfront.
“I call on the Member for Kiama and Minister for Planning to ensure that the Shoalhaven never becomes Shellharbour.
“The previous minister changed the NSW Planning law to introduce Part 3A into the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW) which gives the minister and nameless, faceless bureaucrats the opportunity to approve development without community consultation.”
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