Breaking News
'Cash grab will cost us'
Melanie Darmody
Tuesday 4 March, 2008 12:00am
A STATE Government plan to continue taking millions of dollars in developer contributions from Camden and Campbelltown councils has been labelled a bald-faced grab for cash.
MACROC (Macarthur Regional Organisation of Councils) president and Camden independent councillor Rob Elliott made the claim, saying the State Government's partial backdown on its Section 94 "grab for cash" proved it was only after council money.
The government announced last week it would continue to take control of developer contributions (Section 94 funds) collected by Sydney's six growth councils, including Camden and Campbelltown, and assess other council funds on a case-by-case basis.
Cr Elliott said the move showed the government was looking at money and was not acting in the best interests of the community.
"Rather than bring costs down on their own part of the land sale, they will use the councils as the whipping boys in this deal and (leave) them with nothing," he said.
"The State Government is trying to dictate what Camden and Campbelltown councils can and can't do in their community.
"We're about building communities, the State Government is about building houses and we'll end up with rows of dog boxes with no community facilities."
Cr Elliott said he also feared the State Government's poor track record of delivering quality community services. He said the government's excuse that councils couldn't be trusted with money because of their exposure to sub-prime investments did not apply to Camden and Campbelltown.
"None of our councils in the Macarthur region was exposed to the sub-prime problems," he said.
"They are good money managers, there is no reason to take money out of their control."
Camden State Labor MP Geoff Corrigan said Camden, Campbelltown and Liverpool councils should be grateful the government was taking control of Section 94 money.
"They should be really grateful because this stops cross-jurisdiction problems which have gone on in the past," he said. "They're better off having us handle the money so the work can be done. We don't need the Rolls-Royce of community facilities, we should settle for the Calais of facilities. We don't need to drop to Commodore but we don't need the Rolls-Royce. This is about reducing the cost of housing."
