Region. Rees 'fair dinkum' about centres

Premier Nathan Rees has a medium-term goal was to “get fair dinkum” about building up centres other than the Sydney CBD. The Government needed to consider incentives, such as payroll tax concessions, for business to move to other centres, such Parramatta and Penrith, in the west, and Hornsby, Chatswood, Strathfield, Hurstville and Bankstown. “It means planning to make sure we get the right commercial, retail and residential mix and open space … you re removing the need for people to have to travel into the (Sydney) CBD every day,” he said in The Sydney Morning Herald. “The centres policy has been kicked around by planning ministers … it’s frankly had lip service paid.”