New ministers must fix NSW: lobbyists

(AAP) NSW Premier Nathan Rees' new ministers had barely been sworn into cabinet before industry groups were pressing them to tackle urgent problems.

Mr Rees announced his cabinet's portfolios in Sydney on Monday, and the ministers,
including six newcomers, were sworn in at Government House.
Despite congratulating the new-look cabinet, the message from industry associations
was clear: We want action.
John Della Bosca was welcomed back as the new health minister by both the Australian
Medical Association (AMA) and the NSW Nurses Association (NSWNA).
However, AMA NSW president Dr Brian Norton wasted no time in warning the minister
that public hospital occupancy rates were too high and more doctors were needed.
"While there are pressures to cut costs and trim the budget, the management of the
health system must ensure that patients are not at risk, and that we continue to
invest for the future," he said.
NSWNA general secretary Brett Holmes said Mr Della Bosca had saved nurses from Work
Choices in his previous position as industrial relations minister, and hoped he
could use his experience to improve the public health system.
The Tourism and Transport Forum (TTF) said the cabinet changes couldn't be allowed
to further delay badly needed improvements for Sydney commuters, or derail efforts
to revitalise the state's tourism industry.
"We congratulate David Campbell on his elevation to the transport portfolio but he
must appreciate that Sydneysiders are still battling crowded trains, cancelled
buses, sub-standard ferries and clogged roads," TTF managing director Christopher
Brown said.
"The focus must remain squarely on improvements, including a public transport
smartcard."
Mr Brown said the same urgency was required of new tourism minister Jodi MacKay.
The National Parks Association of NSW said it hoped Deputy Premier Carmel Tebbutt as
environment and climate change minister would turn around recent poor environmental
efforts.
"The NSW Labor government must now correct the last three years of neglect under
Morris Iemma and his cabinet, which has seen the ongoing loss of biodiversity to
housing and developments, the expansion of damaging coal mines and the loss of
remnant woodlands and forests throughout NSW to illegal land clearing and industrial
logging," she said.
The United Services Union (USU) said Mr Rees faced the immediate challenge of
electricity privatisation.
The USU represents workers at the state's three energy retailers - Integral,
EnergyAustralia and Country Energy - whose jobs are threatened by the proposed
sell-off.
"We strongly urge the premier to reconsider the sale of the energy retailers, and
consider the economic impact the sell-off would have on regional communities," said
USU secretary Ben Kruse.
Mr Rees has confirmed the three retailers will be sold.
Infrastructure Partnerships Australia (IPA) said a failure to reform NSW's
electricity sector meant the cabinet must look to innovative funding models,
including public private partnerships, if it had "any hope of sustaining the state's
productivity, economic growth and job security".
"The premier and cabinet should be under no illusions about the size of the
challenge facing NSW," said IPA executive director Brendan Lyon.
The opposition said "factional warlords" were the real winners in the ministerial
reshuffle.
"The fact that Joe Tripodi, Eric Roozendaal and John Della Bosca are the big winners
from this reshuffle just demonstrates the boys are back in town, the factions are in
charge and nothing's changed," Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell said.
"Eric Roozendaal and Joe Tripodi are the Dodgy Brothers of state politics - you
wouldn't trust them with a used car lot let alone with the state's economy."
Meanwhile, Parramatta Lord Mayor Paul Barber had no stark warnings for the new
cabinet, just words of praise for the strong representation of western Sydney MPs.
Former Parramatta mayor David Borger has become the housing and western Sydney
minister, Auburn Member Barbara Perry is local government minister and the premier
himself is MP for Toongabbie and lives in North Parramatta.
"Power is shifting from Macquarie Street, Sydney, to Macquarie Street, Parramatta,"
he said.