Content about Politics

A new poll as put the Labor Party just ahead in the state seat of Strathfield, with less than a week to go before polling day.

All voter sampling suggests a nail-biting finish in Strathfield, after both sides mounted tough campaigns.

According to a ReachTel telephone poll taken on Thursday, and reported in today’s Fairfax Media, the two-party preferred vote stands at 50.8 per cent to Labor’s Jodi McKay and 49.2 per cent to incumbent Liberal Charles Casuscelli.

Planning Minister Pru Goward has been accused of halting a community consultation program to inform residents of the massive redevelopment of the Parramatta Road.

Strathfield’s Labor candidate in the upcoming State Government election, Jodi McKay,  says documents released to Parliament reveal community events were slashed from 170 to just two.

She maintains this was done against the advice of Urban Growth, the agency handling Parramatta road’s redevelopment.

The extraordinary toll on Liberal State ministers wrought by the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption hearings may just have a sliver of a silver lining for Strathfield. At least, in the case of one long-running major issue.

New Premier Mike Baird was one of the party big guns wheeled out by Charles Casuscelli during his successful campaign to unseat Virginia Judge from the Strathfield constituency two years ago. The normally cautious Mr Baird, who was then shadow treasurer, proclaimed himself a big supporter of the proposed development of Strathfield Town Centre.

Mr LAUNDY (Reid) (17:50): Madam Speaker, it is with a mixture of pride and humility that I rise to my feet as the newly elected member for Reid. I am the ninth person entrusted with this responsibility. Previous members include Labor stalwarts like Jack Lang and Tom Uren. Unfortunately for the Labor Party, I am a proud member of the Liberal Party—indeed, the first Liberal to hold this seat since it was formed in 1922.

Strathfield’s Local Environmental Plan (LEP) – the blueprint for the municipality’s growth over the next decade – has finally been approved by the NSW State Government.

The result of one of the largest consultation exercises in Strathfield’s history, the plan paints a fascinating picture of the changing face of one of Sydney’s oldest suburbs.

In part two of our series on the upcoming Federal Election, we asked Labor’s Environment Minister Tony Burke and new Liberal contender Ron Delezio, 59, where they stand on the major issues.

What makes you the better candidate?

Strathfield’s mysterious poison pen has made an unwelcome return – and this time, the victims are determined to expose the culprit.

Letters  - some anonymous and some with fictitious names - have been sent to organizations, businesses, electors and even the Scene targeting some of the municipality’s newest councilors with claims of information that could cause a by-election.

The allegations have been checked and found to be completely false.

Strathfield Council officials have been holding briefing sessions for the new councillors so they can hit the road running when they attend their first meetings early next month.

The move follows the mayoral elections which saw Liberal leader Gulian Vaccari win the top job in a vote by the new seven-strong council at their first extraordinary meeting last Monday night.

Vaccari beat Labor leader Raj Data and Strathfield First’s Helen McLucas with the support of new deputy mayor, Andrew Soulos.

Opposition leader Tony Abbott has pledged a Liberal government would put $1.5 billion towards building the M4 East, the infrastructure project many believe is the only way to relieve the traffic clogged roads of the Inner West.

But the move appears to put him at loggerheads with the NSW State Government, which is believed to be close to announcing the roadway won’t be at the top of its infrastructure plans.

Higher-density residential development along Parra-matta Road, increased building heights at the Town Centre, a food hub next to Sydney Markets and new business parks to attract jobs are among the highlights of Strathfield’s plans for the next decade, which went on show this month.

The town square is to be reclassified to allow for events like weekend markets, while a mixed business and residential area is proposed in Homebush, north of the railway station.

 Superintendant Philip Rogerson is one of NSW’s most experienced police officers. He has served the state as a detective and in uniform for 32 years. He has worked some of the meanest streets in Australia, including Kings Cross, inspiration for the hit TV series Underbelly. 

Today, he is commander of Flemington LAC. From his headquarters in Auburn, he runs an operation that includes 220 men and women, the highway patrol, the commuter crime unit and a beat that comprises more than 124 cultural groups.

A new merger plan to amalgamate Strathfield, Canada Bay and Burwood was revealed today in The Daily Telegraph.

On the day that the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) handed its report to the state government, the article quoted a government source as confirming that Strathfield is one of the councils expected to merge.

Sydney’s 41 councils will be reduced to about 20 under the Baird Government’s plans to reform the local government sector.