Barton Deakin Brief: Premier Dominic Perrottet’s vision for New South Wales

Date: Dec 2021

Barton Deakin Brief: Premier Dominic Perrottet’s vision for New South Wales

Overview

The NSW Premier has delivered two key speeches, the Bradfield Oration and the National Press Club address which outline his priorities, how he wants to govern and pursue reform.

The National Press Club Address was delivered on the 8th of December 2021; this speech outlined how the Premier wants to improve the working of the Federation, to work more constructively with other states and the Commonwealth government to improve outcomes for citizens across Australian.

The Bradfield Oration was delivered on the 2nd of December 2021 and outlined the Premier’s vision for making Sydney more liveable, workable, and beautiful.

This Barton Deakin Brief summarises these two speeches.

 

National Press Club Address, 8 December 2021

State-federal financial relations

  • Premier Perrottet wants to transform state-federal relations from combative to constructive.
  • The Premier expressed concern over the current system of goods and services tax (GST) allocation which disproportionately favours Western Australia and places a heavier burden on NSW and Victoria. The Premier sees GST allocation as inconsistent with the sustainability of the federation and will advocate for a better deal for NSW.

Division of responsibilities between NSW and the Commonwealth

  • The Premier wants to see reforms in the delegation of responsibilities between the state and federal government regarding healthcare, education, and childcare.
  • Premier Perrottet plans to advocate for NSW to take full responsibility for childcare and early childhood education, to replace the current system where the Commonwealth funds childcare and the states fund early childhood education.
    • The Premier has also suggested the Commonwealth could take full responsibility for the National Disability Insurance Scheme in return.
  • The Premier will pursue an overhaul of education and healthcare responsibilities and funding, which currently encourages conflict between the state and federal governments.
  • The Premier advocated extending general practitioner (GP) hours to take pressure off emergency departments and making telehealth a permanent feature of the system.
  • The Premier also wants to address the mismatch of state and federal curriculums that complicate school education.

The Bradfield Oration, 2 December 2021

A more liveable Sydney

  • Covid has highlighted the importance and power of liveable neighbourhoods, and the unequal distribution of that liveability.
  • The NSW government will focus on equity to ensure everyone is able enjoy the world’s best quality of life no matter in which postcode they live.
  • Premier Perrottet pledged to improve home ownership through the levers of tax, planning, supply, and working with the Commonwealth.
  • The government will shift their focus from the mega-projects to the local projects.
    • The WestInvest fund marks the beginning of this shift – a $5 billion fund to improve quality of life in Western Sydney.
  • The NSW government will make care more accessible and affordable — whether childcare, health care, in-home care for our grandparents, or palliative care at the end of life.

A more workable Sydney

  • The Eastern Harbour City, Parramatta and the Bradfield Aerotropolis are the three centres for job creation. Premier Perrottet wants to build on these centres to support more careers.
  • This government will develop NSW’s manufacturing base, focusing on advanced manufacturing.
    • The Premier will appoint a Commissioner for Modern Manufacturing, whose job will be to identify local research and ideas that can become manufacturing opportunities.
  • The government has galvanised universities to provide examples of research that can create economic opportunity and investment.
    • The government will create a new Department of Enterprise and Investment.
    • Within that department, the Premier will appoint a Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology.

A more beautiful Sydney

  • The NSW government will improve Sydney’s architecture, including to showcase the natural beauty of Sydney Harbour.
  • The government will establish a Sydney Great Walk, connecting all the Harbour City’s most iconic landmarks in a single trail.
  • Premier Perrottet has established a six-cities strategy focused on connecting the major hubs across NSW.
    • The east-west axis of the metropolis of three cities, the Eastern Harbour City, the Central River City and the Western Parkland City, links two airports
    • The city region’s north-south axis connects the seaports of Newcastle and the Illawarra, journeying through the Central Coast and through Parramatta.
    • The Greater Sydney Commission will become the Greater Cities Commission.
    • Premier Perrottet will appoint a dedicated Minister for Cities.

Additional Information

You can access Premier Perrottet’s National Press Club address here

You can access Premier Perrottet’s Bradfield Oration here 

 

For more information, contact Andrew Humpherson on +61 419 241 587, Anthony Benscher on +61 438 439 431, or Julia Kokic on +61 405 955 887

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