Carr Says Local View Will Win

Newcastle Herald

Wednesday April 2, 2003

By IAN KIRKWOOD

NSW Premier Bob Carr said yesterday the future of thousands of hectares of vacant industrial land around the Hunter River would be decided by "locals", not "faceless bureaucrats from Sydney".

Mr Carr was speaking after being briefed by the newly formed Regional Land Management Corporation, which his Government has created to manage more than 2470 hectares of industrial land, including former BHP land and a 545-hectare site at Tomago earmarked for Austeel or other industrial developments.

He was also introducing the Hunter's two ministers ? Cessnock MP Kerry Hickey as Minister of Mineral Resources, and Millfield-based MLC Michael Costa as Minister of the Hunter.

Mr Carr said Mr Costa had two other portfolios in transport and forestry that meshed well with his role as Hunter Minister.

"So much of the thrust of the Hunter ministry job is relating to transport and infrastructure," Mr Carr said.

He said having "a local" in charge of mining would help in "getting the balance right" between development and environmental protection.

On redeveloping the former steelworks site, Mr Carr said he wanted to see "the area thick with jobs".

It was up to the private sector to invest in projects such as Austeel and the multi-purpose shipping terminal but the Government would do what it could to ensure all of the major infrastructure was in place.

"This new board has a huge responsibility," Mr Carr said.

"Working with the community and Planning NSW, it will play an important role in shaping the future look and opportunities in the Hunter.

"The future use of the land must ensure a balance between creating jobs and environmental protection."

The corporation board is chaired by Hunter Water chairman Ron Robson with three other members ? Newcastle Lord Mayor John Tate, former federal Labor MP and Hunter Business Chamber chief executive David Simmons and coal industry identity Ross Knights.

Hunter Water chief executive David Evans has also been appointed chief executive.

Mr Robson said the corporation was an interim body that would be replaced within a year to 18 months with a new, permanent organisation.

"It's a time-consuming process to set up a new government body from scratch, so it's been set up as a subsidiary of Hunter Water because it has experience in the area," Mr Robson said.

Mr Carr said the corporation was a natural progression from the regional concept plan the Government released in February.

Mr Robson said the board was setting up offices in Newcomen Street, Newcastle, and was keen to start practical steps like a geotechnical survey of the former BHP dump site on Kooragang Island.

Mr Robson said the corporation's land included the 150-hectare main steelworks site, 230 hectares of former BHP land on Kooragang Island, 1545 hectares of former BHP land at West Wallsend, the 545-hectare Austeel site at Tomago and another 12 government parcels on Kooragang totalling about 400 hectares. ?? Editorial Page 8