REPORT OF THE PUBLIC ROUNDTABLE FOR IPARTS REVIEW OF THE CURRENT METHOD OF RENT DETERMINATION FOR DOMESTIC WATERFRONT TENANCIES IN NSW
27th June at 220 Pitt Street, Sydney. 2000.

The all day meeting was attended by some ninety people of this State, as interested individuals or representing organisations such as the Waterfront Action Group, "W.A.G"

Together - in total, with the employees of the relevant government departments and selected representative groups there were 16 people on the podium table facing the audience and who fielded questions and made replies, as well as inter vivos. Time slots at the various sessions were provided for questions and comments from the audience. Many spoke of their own personal and family circumstances, some extremely emotional.

At times there were very pronounced degrees of acrimony from the audience as well as the individuals of the representative groups. Very few punches were pulled (in other words, criticisms of the governmental attitudes, and comments in general made by the bureaucracypreviously and also at the meeting were totally refuted and criticised, even to the point of being insulting but nobody sprang to their defence). Also there was much and at times even raucous applause given to many speeches made by audience attendees as well as those of the action group people.

I was gratified with the reaction of numerous folk who complimented me during the morning tea break on what I had said earlier. One question that I had first introduced was that on the mode of calculations of the costs of Oyster leases that share numerous features with jetties and the like and were only $8o / Hectare annually; and others picked up on that theme. In another vein I referred to provision for concessions to owners in waterfronts as well as Lot owners in Waterfront Strata Plans with fixed as well as inflexible incomes, or on pensions that they deserved special focus. Such a relevant heading subsequently was displayed on the overhead screen.

In a private conversation with the organiser Mr Matthew Edgerton of IPART, program manager, Analysis and Policy Development I queried as to why there was no comparison made as to where other five State governments around Australia were concerned.He said that they would be considering that aspect. However I did not ask him why it had not already been done or even announced at the beginning of the "Roundtable

There should be a further similar venue for discussion later in the year.

Yours cordially, Len Murray. 28-06-2011