In response to new data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), which shows increased demand for Specialist Housing Services in NSW, NSW Greens spokesperson on Housing Jenny Leong MP, says urgent action is needed to address homelessness and housing affordability.

“The increase in demand for Specialists Homelessness Services is stark evidence of the housing affordability crisis we’re facing in NSW,” she said.

At the last Inner West Council meeting of 2016, the Administrator Richard Pearson committed to spending half a million dollars toward modelling the impact of WestConnex on local streets and neighbourhoods. 

“This is a welcome initiative and shows that local government shares the community’s concerns about how badly WestConnex will impact our neighbourhoods, said Jenny Leong MP, Member for Newtown and NSW Greens spokesperson on WestConnex.

“The RMS only plan to look at the impact of WestConnex 12 months after each stage has been opened - well after the traffic chaos and air quality impacts have occurred.  Premier Baird’s appointed Administrator has called this wait-and-see approach, ‘totally unacceptable and inconsistent with the principles of modern environmental impact assessments’ and he should know, as he has come directly from the NSW Planning Dept. 

In response to the changes to Sydney’s lockout laws that were announced today, Member for Newtown and NSW Greens spokesperson on Night-time Culture and Economy Jenny Leong MP, says the changes will do little to encourage a thriving Sydney nightlife.

RMS has announced plans to radically alter key local roads between Alexandria to Moore Park and they have put these plans forward without indicating that they are obviously the result of the impact that WestConnex will have on traffic in this area. 

Jenny Leong MP, Member for Newtown and NSW Greens spokesperson on WestConnex has condemned this announcement .

"It’s obvious that this work is directly related to WestConnex and the St Peters interchange - attempting to provide a stop gap solution to the widely discredited plan that would put 70,000 more cars into the area.

"The pathetic attempt by RMS to try to pretend these works are stand alone so the true impact of WestConnex is hidden, will not fool anyone.

The Greens say the split between state and federal Liberal ministers highlights the ongoing failure of the Turnbull government to act on the housing affordability crisis.

The third Rental Affordability Index (RAI) released today shows that Sydney remains Australia's least affordable city for renters and makes it clear that significant change is needed to address this crisis.

NSW Greens spokesperson on Housing and Member for Newtown Jenny Leong MP said:

"It is clear that any attempt to deliver housing affordability can't start and end with supply alone. What we need is an increase to affordable supply. Unless there are mandated significant targets for affordable rental housing in new developments, rents will continue to soar."

With renewed focus on corruption in NSW politics this week, with amendments to the ICAC rushed through Parliament, the NSW Greens WestConnex spokesperson and Member for Newtown Jenny Leong MP, is calling on Roads Minister Duncan Gay to assure the public that the construction company CIMIC (formerly Leighton Holdings), which has huge WestConnex contracts, is free of corruption.

Member for Newtown and NSW Greens spokesperson on WestConnex Jenny Leong MP, is again calling on the Premier to immediately step in to halt all WestConnex works until an independent inquiry can be undertaken, as the Roads Minister announces further changes to the $16.8 billion dollar project on the run.

"With this latest announcement of WestConnex changes there's some good news and some bad news, but one thing is very clear - the Roads Minister is making it up as he goes", she said.

"The good news for Camperdown – and for the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and the University of Sydney - is that the exit/entry ramps have been scrapped with the M4/M5 tunnel link being moved further west. 

NSW Greens spokesperson on Housing Jenny Leong MP welcomes long overdue attention to inclusionary zoning as a means to address the housing affordability crisis in Sydney. However she warns that scrutiny is needed to ensure that it is not used as an excuse to give developers free reign on density, with no consideration of community needs.

“Requiring a percentage of affordable dwellings to be part of any new significant development is an important part of the puzzle when it comes to addressing the housing affordability crisis” she says.

Reports that Police have arrested three residents taking part in nonviolent direct action at Holmwood St in Newtown today are cause for serious concern for our community.

Member for Newtown and spokesperson on WestConnex Jenny Leong MP says that people have a right to engage in peaceful protest.

“Local residents were peacefully protesting at the site when contractors shamefully built a fence around them. It’s not the first time we’ve seen dodgy tactics like this used by private contractors doing the Baird government’s dirty business,” she said.