When political parties win government after a long period in opposition, their first term is usually shaky and often dogged by poor decision-making. This was certainly the case with the first Howard government I served in 1996.
It just scraped back into power in 1998 following a series of unpopular decisions.
The current federal and NSW governments are now in the same territory. After a promising start, the Albanese government, now halfway through its first term, needs to be in a better place with both its domestic and foreign policy. As its standing plummets in the polls, it faces enormous challenges in the second half of its term.
Closer to home, the 10-month-old NSW Minns government is already hitting heavy weather, as the NSW ship of state is increasingly rocked by poor decision-making. Incoming governments have different priorities, and to pay for these, they often cut back the programs of the previous governments. In the Newcastle/Hunter region, the Premier has not listened to locals.
In an alarmingly short timeframe, it has shut down the new Williamtown special activation precinct, closed the high-rise building grouting fund, and severely disrupted the excellent planning for the final stages of the Honeysuckle HQ precinct on Newcastle Harbour with a 30 per cent social and affordable housing requirement.
Furthermore, a joint state / federal $1.5 billion higher speed 10-kilometre rail duplication between Wyong and Tuggerah has been cancelled. This would have eased congestion between express and slow passenger and freight trains on the Sydney to Newcastle rail line, reducing passenger travel time to two hours, saving thirty-five minutes.
What's next - scrapping the 63-hectare Broadmeadow Hunter Park precinct urban renewal project?
The latest backward step by the Minns government has been abolishing the Greater Cities Commission (GCC). This body was set up in 2015 and initially coordinated planning within three sub-regions of Greater Sydney.
However, in 2022, the Coalition government sensibly added Illawarra/Shoalhaven City to the south, plus Central Coast City and Greater Newcastle/Lower Hunter to the north.
The creation of the expanded GCC covered the sprawling urban megapolis that stretches from Port Stephens to the north of Newcastle to Nowra, south of Wollongong.
This vast region of six million people is rapidly expanding its population and economic activity. It desperately needs coordinated planning of land use, transport infrastructure and community services to create greater connectivity across its six conurbations to create a 'global city region.'
It was hoped that the interconnected six-cities model would achieve this and, in the process, move Newcastle and the Hunter's regional interests closer to the centre of NSW government decision-making, with a direct line into the heart of government.
Exhibiting a breathtaking lack of vision, the NSW government has now scrapped the GCC and its six-city model, together with its local representation and input. It plans to draw all these decisions back into the remotely based state planning department within the Sydney CBD. What a disappointing outcome for our region.
The lower Hunter's representative on the GCC, Matt Endacott, made some critical comments about the lack of long-term strategic planning in NSW when news of the demise of the GCC broke. If we continue to roll out greenfield developments west of Maitland, with no new schools or public transport, what social and economic consequences does that have in 30 years? He sees the abolition of the GCC as a missed opportunity and abysmal policy judgment.
It is also yet another own goal by the Minns government, with its lack of vision for the future of the most populous region in Australia, including where we all work and live.
Our local MPs should stop squabbling and focus on stemming the tide of poor decision-making, rapidly removing our region's hard-won local projects. But sadly, in Newcastle and the Hunter, there is a long history of local MPs in safe seats being ignored by their governments.
