THE///NEW//MINISTERS

The dust has finally settled after last week's eventful dumping of a number of senior NSW ministers, including the Premier, Morris Iemma.

In an announcement this morning Premier Nathan Rees has revealed his new cabinet, including the key ministers for Transport and Planning, who will set the future direction for the development of Sydney's suburbs and public transport.

A number of ongoing issues are currently before these new ministers including the ongoing rollout of the Metropolitan Strategy, the now uncertain future of the North-West Metro, the Western Metro, the development of the North-West and South-West Growth Centres, the development of Sydney's new employment lands, and the future redevelopment of the Parramatta Road enterprise corridor, Glebe Island and Barangaroo. If and how these projects evolve will be decided by the new premier and portfolio ministers.


The new Transport Minister is David Campbell. He was elected to the NSW legislative assembly in 1999 as Member for Keira. He has chaired a number of NSW parliamentary committees including the Joint Standing Committee for Road Safety. He has been in the NSW ministry since April 2007 and has held his most recent position of Minister of Police since April last year. Prior to being elected to government Campbell was Lord Mayor of Wollongong.

He now has the daunting task of responding to outgoing Treasurer Michael Costa's revelation that the failed electricity sell-off puts the NW Metro in serious doubt.


The new Planning Minister is Kristina Keneally. She has been in the NSW parliament as Member for Heffron since March 2003. Before being appointed Minister for Ageing and Disability Services in April 2007 Keneally sat on a number of parliamentary committees including a committee on the Independent Commission Against Corruption, the Standing Ethics Committee and a committee on the Cross City Tunnel.


Keneally was born and educated in the United States of America and became an Australian Citizen in 2000. As member for the electoral district of Heffron, which includes Sydney Airport and borders onto Port Botany, Keneally has been vocal on a number of related planning issues. She has opposed a retail development at the airport and supported the port expansion project currently underway.


She now takes on responsibility for newly amended planning legislation that redefines council and State planning powers and the continuing rollout of the Metropolitan Strategy, Greater Sydney's planning blueprint for growth to 2031.