The Greens were founded on the vision of a robust and healthy environment. We'll always stand to protect our precious places now and for future generations. It was one of our founding principles, and today it remains as important as ever. The Greens’ commitment to our precious places has never been more important. Around our nation our environment is being impacted by global warming, unsustainable development and mining and pollution - with the full support of the Liberal, National and Labor parties. NSW’s environment is under threat from the most anti-environment government the State has seen. Our national parks have been declared open for shooters. Our marine environments are under threat. Species continue to vanish at record rates. The Liberal, National and Labor parties refuse to admit that coal is a huge part of our global climate change problem. In doing so, they are signing the death warrants for some of our most precious natural places. They’re approving massive new mines, offshore drilling and new coal seam gas wells, and enjoy huge corporate donations from fossil fuel interests. Our precious natural places are national icons. They’re internationally known, provide jobs and investment in our tourism sector and are the lifeblood of our communities. The Greens will not let them be lost to vested interests, a lack of political courage and an obsession with the industries of the past. From St Peters to Northern NSW, we are working with communities to defend our land and water from gas mining. We are supporting sustainable, local food, and we are forming new alliances that can transform NSW. Our plan for the environment would: Close down coal-fired power stations in NSW by 2030. Stand up for local communities against CSG mining. End shooting in our national parks. Put a price on pollution to reflect the full environmental, ecological and health costs. Protect marine habitats and species through a system of marine parks. Move towards a ‘zero waste’ society through recycling and waste minimisation strategies. The Greens will proudly stand for the environment now and into the future.
Everyone deserves access to a safe, affordable and secure home. Homes should be for people to live in, not a speculative investment to make money. The Greens have the courage and vision to implement measures to ensure everyone who needs a home can afford one. Sydney housing is just plain unaffordable. Rents have soared and renters rights are amongst the weakest in the developed world. House prices are astronomically high in Sydney and still unaffordable in many NSW cities and in the regions. Young people have quite simply been locked out of the market. Both Liberal and Labor Governments have sold off public housing in the inner-city and elsewhere. Waiting lists are growing, and people are being pushed out. We love the diversity of the inner-city. Students, artists and low-income workers are a vital part of our community. We don’t want a city divided by income and wealth. We need housing policies that make everyone welcome. The Greens are fighting for affordable housing both here in NSW and at a federal level. We have an achievable plan that will ensure housing is within reach for everyone: The Greens believe housing should be a universal right. Just like Medicare and our public school system, everyone should be able to apply for social housing if they need it. Social housing should be a desirable and realistic alternative to taking out a mortgage or renting for life in the private market. The Greens will grow the housing stock to make homes available to people most in need and those on higher incomes who choose to be part of our universal housing scheme. Read more here. Rental properties are people’s homes, and renters deserve the same security and quality of life as homeowners. But our current rental laws allow dodgy landlords to maximise their returns, at the expense of people’s security and safety. The Greens will give people who rent in NSW a better deal. Read more here. The Greens support a ‘Housing First’ approach, whereby housing will be provided for people who become homeless and additional needs are met with ongoing and professional support.People experiencing homelessness will be offered social housing for as long as they require it. Read more here. Our Cool Homes, Cool Planet initiative will mean that every home, new or old, will be zero emissions by 2030. Zero emissions houses will be easier to cool in summer and warm in winter. Every private home will make the transition to a pollution-free future by 2030, with appropriate support for households. Read more here. All local councils in NSW should have the ability to progress initiatives that increase the supply of affordable housing in local government areas. Initiatives such as inclusionary zoning and an Empty Homes Levy are important to grow affordable housing. Read more here. Investing in housing means making a large investment – as well it should. Guaranteeing affordable, stable and sustainable housing to everybody is one of the most important things we can do as a society. This is a productive investment that will create positive social and financial returns for decades to come. Read more here. Jenny Leong MP is the NSW Greens spokesperson for Housing, and works closely with Senator Mehreen Faruqi who holds the housing portfolio for the Australian Greens. *Authorised by Jenny Leong 383 King St Newtown 2042. Funded using Parliamentary entitlements.
We have a vision for a city that is liveable, sustainable and diverse. This means investing in affordable housing, green space, community facilities, public transport and recreational facilities. It means embracing innovative design and sustainable technologies. It means engaging in meaningful consultation with communities. By fast tracking development and scrapping good planning guidelines, developers will win over the needs of the community. The government's Urban Growth strategy is a threat to that vision. UrbanGrowth NSW has no targets for affordable housing, sustainability or open space. There are no guarantees that these new and expanded neighbourhoods will have the critical infrastructure they need such as schools, sporting fields, medical facilities or public transport. The Greens believe we need to protect the communities and places we love, and all of that all starts with democratic, sustainable and smart planning.The planning system in NSW is an undemocratic mess.A complex tangle of laws ties communities up in knots while delivering endless loopholes for developers. More and more decision-making is being removed from local councils and delivered instead to state government ministers and bureaucrats who’s only interest is the dollar value of the development. The end result is unplanned, disconnected development with poor transport, high energy demands and crippling prices.Both the old parties have failed on planning.Corporate donations and influence peddling under NSW Labor dragged the planning system into disrepute. Labor delivered the now notorious Part 3A of the planning laws has allowed the planning minister to approve literally any development, anywhere in the state, regardless of the local planning laws. If ever there was a corruption-ready law, that was it.The Greens are committed to returning planning power to communities.We do this because we trust people to make the right decisions for their communities. This includes in developing and implementing long term planning strategies that can’t be bypassed by cashed up developers.For this planning system to work it must be built on the three pillars of ecologically sustainable development, giving full weight to each; the environment, society and the economy. Done well, planning can produce wonderful places to live, work and recreate while not costing the earth.Some of the most densely settled parts of our cities and townships are also the most liveable and sustainable. The terrace houses and semis built last century in Sydney, Newcastle and regional towns across the state deliver density on a human scale with low energy housing, pedestrian connections and enviable public and active transport.Unlike the old parties the Greens work for the people who elect them, not the corporations that finance them.The Greens believe in applying the best planning lessons of the past while marrying them to the renewable energy solutions and digital connections of the present. We can have green open space, active transport, affordable and sustainable housing and close connections to work. We just need to give ourselves the power to make it happen.The Greens have always stood with communities on the front line of development issues. It is a track record we are proud of. It builds on decades of progressive actions from Jack Mundey’s Green Bans of the 1970’s and 80’s right through to today’s struggles for green space and railways before highrise and motorways.
The Greens believe that Sydney can be a safe, vibrant, open, 24-hour, global creative city. Innovative, integrated policies can reduce alcohol related violence without negatively impacting on Sydney’s creative communities and night-time economy. What's needed is a collaborative response that brings together stakeholders and community members to address issues of alcohol-related violence. While we welcome the decrease in assaults and hospitalisation that has occurred since the lockouts were imposed, we believe that equally positive results could be achieved through alternative policies. Blanket lockout laws are punitive and too broad-reaching. They place onerous restrictions on everyone, including the vast majority of people who act in a responsibly. There have been negative impacts on venues, small businesses, and Sydney’s live performance community have. It's clear that there were problems with violence and antisocial-behaviour in areas of Sydney that needed to be addressed. The lessons that we need to learn from the experiences in Kings Cross and the CBD are about the failure to properly regulate licenced premises and integrate necessary infrastructure. By minimising the constraints on the alcohol industry, Sydney developed the worst of all possible mixes and densities of venues. The lockout policy did not address a core problem in NSW: that the alcohol lobby retains too much influence over public policy. The Greens will continue to advocate for a response to alcohol-related violence that learns from the experience of other global cities; that involves comprehensive community consultation; that directly addresses the individuals and venues involved in anti-social behaviour; and that allows Sydney to thrive as an internationally recognised, 24-hour city that encourages creativity, entrepreneurship and community use of public spaces. Background to the Sydney CBD and Kings Cross Lockouts In January 2014, then‐Premier Barry O'Farrell recalled parliament to pass legislation that put in place 1:30am lock outs and 3:00am last drinks for venues in the Kings Cross Entertainment Precinct and the Sydney CBD. It also imposed a 10pm curfew on takeaway liquor sales. The NSW Coalition Government responded to issues of alcohol-fuelled violence and anti-social behaviour with a heavy handed law and order approach, supported by the Labor opposition. The Greens voted against the legislation, as we believe that innovative, integrated policies can reduce alcohol related violence without negatively impacting on Sydney’s creative communities and night-time economy. While we welcome the decrease in assaults and hospitalisation that has occurred since the lockouts were imposed, we believe that equally positive results could be achieved through alternative policies that do not have adverse impacts on the broader community. The Greens welcome any reduction in violent crime but how this is achieved needs to be balanced with other impacts. The lockouts have had a negative impact on our creative communities, live music venues, our night-time economy and our vibrant nightlife. They also unfairly punish the vast majority people in our community who act responsibly. Local Impacts in Newtown In the wake of the implementation of the Sydney CBD and Kings Cross lockouts, visitor numbers to Newtown increased and anecdotally we could all feel that things were changing (and not necessarily for the better!) In response, our office initiated a collaboration between the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre and the Newtown Business Precinct Association. This began with a well-attended public meeting and then resulted in the establishment of the Newtown Vibe Roundtable – co-convened by the Member for Newtown and the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre and involving representatives from the local police, the Newtown Business Precinct Association, the Newtown Liquor Accord, ACON, local councils and local residents. The Roundtable draws on the vast local knowledge of participants and has been able to implement effective local strategies to address anti-social behaviour, as well as ensure that communication about potential risks is shared. While there has been an increase in visitor numbers to Newtown, there has not been a corresponding increase in reported violent incidents. It has been a positive local strategy that has shown that it is possible to keep venues open late without compromising on safety.Read Protecting the Vibe - A Report from the Newtown Vibe Roundtable - March 2017Produced by the Office of Jenny Leong MP, the Member for Newtown, and the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre, in collaboration with Newtown Vibe Roundtable Participants Further information Read more about the Greens’ alternatives to lockouts. Watch Greens MP Jenny Leong asking former Premier Mike Baird to acknowledge that there are measures other than lockouts that can reduce violence and also keep Sydney open. Read Greens MP Jenny Leong’s op ed on the Sydney lockout laws in the SMH. Read about how local initiatives in Newtown are tackling problems with alcohol related violence in the City Hub.
Rental properties are people’s homes – but too often they are used as a way for dodgy landlords to maximise their returns, at the expense of people’s security and safety. This needs to change – we need to balance the rights of renters with the interests of landlords. Both landlords and tenants benefit from stability and certainty. Take the pledge! Support improving rights for people who rent. According to 2016 Census data, around one-third of NSW households live in rented properties. Find out more about how you can help us improve and modernise NSW rental laws at rentersrights.org.au We know that being a renter, dealing with the challenges around finding a place to rent, putting in requests for maintenance and coping with the threat of constantly having to move, all have a serious impact on the well-being of people, families and communities. The Greens are working to: Increase security of tenure by ending 'no grounds' evictions Allow rent increases only once per year Allow annual rent increases at no more than CPI (around 2-3% per year) The NSW Residential Tenancies Act will be reviewed in 2018, bringing an opportunity for real reform of NSW rental laws. The Greens want to make sure the voices of people who rent their homes are heard. You can read The Greens' submission to the Discussion Paper on the Review of the Residential Tenancies Act here. NSW rental laws need to be considered in the context of the housing affordability crisis that's affecting many Australian households. Rising housing costs are placing immense stress on many households, forcing people to move away from their networks and communities, and giving many people no choice but to put up with substandard accommodation. Changes also need to be made at a Federal level to address our national housing crisis. The Australian Greens have released initiatives to end Capital Gains Tax discounts and reform negative gearing. We need to change the current unfair tax laws that have locked entire generations of Australians out of home ownership and affordable, stable rents. Many renters recently told us their 'Rental Horror Stories', painting a bleak picture of on-going issues with lack of maintenance, unfair rent increases, and inevitable eviction at the end of a lease if they spoke up to enforce their rights. These stories - and the issues they raise about security, rights and responsibilities - have been covered by a range of media outlets, including The Guardian and ABC News Breakfast. The Greens are calling for reform that allows renters to enforce their legal rights without fear of repercussions, ensures that renting is affordable and offers more security to renters. Further reading: NSW Fair Trading - Statutory Review of the Residential Tenancies Act (June 2016) NSW Parliamentary Research Paper - Private rental housing and security of tenure (October 2015) Tenants Union of NSW - 5 Years of the Residential Tenancies Act 2010 in NSW (July 2015) The Australian Greens - Renters Rights
The Greens have a long and proud history of working side by side with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) communities. We believe that it’s wrong for any person to be stigmatised or discriminated against because of their sexual orientation, sex or gender identity. Diversity and the vibrancy it fosters should be recognised for the importance of its contribution to Australian society, culture and the economy. The Greens will continue to work for true equality, for transgender and intersex rights, for an end to discrimination by religious organisations and for better support services for all LGBTIQ Australians. The Greens are working to: celebrate the unique and valuable contribution of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer people, and acknowledge the diversity of their communities; protect people from discrimination and vilification, by eliminating all discriminatory laws and exemptions in the NSW Anti-Discrimination Act combat the serious problem of bullying in schools by improving anti-homophobia, anti-biphobia, anti-transphobia and anti-intersexphobia policies; support Safe Schools as well as better resources, training and peer support services that promote inclusiveness in curriculum at all levels of the education system; defend the rights of transgender and intersex people so that they don’t face discrimination, harassment or disadvantage; see a strong commitment from government to addressing the over-representation of mental illness and suicide amongst LGBTI people; and ensure funding for research and programs that address family and domestic violence in LGBTIQ communities and increase funding for rural and regional support services. The Greens are proud to stand with the LGBTIQ community. If you'd like to get involved in our campaigns sign up here.
The Greens have a vision for world-class public transport to create more liveable communities, transform how people in NSW connect with each other and access schools, universities and work. The Greens Transport Plan for Liveable Communities will improve our quality of life, alleviate traffic congestion, reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and end the era multibillion dollar toll roads. WestConnex will do nothing to deal with traffic congestion and should be abandoned. It will dump more cars on our inner-city streets and boost carbon emissions. Homes in our community will be bulldozed, while our vibrant bars, restaurants and small businesses will be forced to close, as King Street becomes another Parramatta Road. Dr Mehreen Faruqi holds the transport portfolio for The Greens, and is leading the campaign to Transform Transport. The Greens are pushing for the NSW Government to take the following action: Invest in public and active transport projects and infrastructure, and move more freight onto rail, Cancel unnecessary and polluting toll road projects such as NorthConnex and WestConnex, Adopt bold modal share targets for public transport, alongside a clear strategy for achieving them. Locally, in the electorate of Newtown, we are campaigning for accessible train stations, an additional station for the Surry Hills light rail, integrated cycleways and better bus timetabling. *Authorised by Jenny Leong 383 King St Newtown 2042. Funded using Parliamentary entitlements.
The Greens have been campaigning to stop WestConnex and invest in public transport since this tollroad was announced in 2012. In May 2016, Jenny Leong MP, convened the Peoples WestConnex Inquiry in the NSW Parliament which featured community speakers as well as health, environment and transport experts. As the former NSW Greens spokesperson on WestConnex and the Member for Newtown, Jenny has worked continuously alongside community action groups and local residents to highlight the major flaws and devastating impacts of the $16.8 billion dirty tollroad. The Greens were instrumental in securing an NSW Parliamentary inquiry into the Impact of WestConnex in October 2018. The Recommendations and Findings of Inquiry can be found here. If you want to know more about the M4-M5 tunnel, you can find all the details here. If you are concerned about the impact of the tunneling for the M4-M5, you can find details here. The Greens have a track record of working with local communities to win campaigns against powerful, vested interests. We're committed to working with the community to stop WestConnex and invest in efficient, convenient public transport. The Greens support cleaner, greener transport projects such as: An Inner West Light Rail Link heading up Parramatta Road, connecting the CBD to the inner west The proposed Western Sydney Light Rail Network, which would connect the Parramatta CBD to regional employment hubs such as Macquarie Park and Castle Hill Buying back the Airport Link from its private operator and slashing the Station Access Fee, which will take thousands off the road Investing in park-and-ride facilities at major train stations to encourage and divert thousands of commuters off the major roads and onto the public transport system as they commute into the city Integrating the cycleways for Sydney's west and inner west.
