SECRET AUCTIONS AT MILLERS POINT RAISE COMMUNITY CONCERN

August 21, 2014

The NSW Liberal Government’s secret auctions of public housing properties at Millers Point strikes at the heart of community confidence that this is nothing more than a fire sale of public assets and should be stopped.

“The revelations that public housing at Millers Point are going to be sold in secret is just more evidence that taxpayers can have no confidence in this process and that it needs to be stopped immediately,” Shadow Minister for Housing Sophie Cotsis said.

“These secret auctions show the government is more concerned with a quick cash grab, rather than the best interests of taxpayers and the current tenants of these properties.

“The Liberals claims they want to invest the revenue from the sales in new public housing but there is no evidence of that in the budget.

“Everyone knows that if you are selling your house at auction, you want to attract as many bidders as possible in order to get the best price.

“Instead of making these auctions open for everyone, the NSW Liberal Government is holding them in secret.

“These secret auctions are not transparent and they do not guarantee the best return for the sale of a public asset.

“The Liberals’ watered down heritage requirements mean that potential speculators can landbank these properties for future development.”

Labor candidate for Sydney Edwina Lloyd condemned the Liberals’ handling of housing at Millers Point.

“Labor opposes the forced eviction of public housing tenants from Millers Point,” Labor candidate for Sydney Edwina Lloyd said.

“The NSW Liberal Government has already been caught tampering with reports to downplay the impact that forced evictions will have on residents’ health - and they have watered down heritage rules for purchasers of these properties.

“These secret auctions show that the entire process is a sham and that the Liberals are determined to sell these properties, even if it means that taxpayers do not receive the best sale price at auction.

“I am calling on the NSW Liberal Government to halt this sale process, talk to the tenants they are evicting and develop a real plan to deliver affordable housing in the inner-city.”

Resourced: http://www.johnrobertson.com.au/secret_auctions_at_millers_point