Premier Barry O'Farrell has promised swift action to remedy grossly unreasonable outcomes affecting the lives of New South Wales citizens.
Love them or hate them - there is no doubt that the cctv networks in our cities are a safety factor. Without them, a lout who king hit a young man in Kings Cross and caused his death would have got away with the crime. Numerous bag snatches and robberies have been solved by the culprits images on camera and we feel safer knowing that these devices are watching over us.
An anti-cctv campaigner in Nowra took the council to court claiming that these cameras " breach the privacy of residents ". Almost unbelievably, the court agreed and as a result the streets of the city of Nowra are watched over by turned off cctv's. It's open slather for drunks, graffiti artists, bag snatchers and those involved in sex crimes. A valuable tool of law and order has been immobilised.
Barry O'Farrell has promised to rush a new law through parliament to overturn this ban. Once again, the law of the many is set to overturn the wishes of the few. Those zealots who rail against cctv cameras would be a tiny fraction of citizens who value their personal safety.
We live in difficult times and most people are concerned at the rising cost of the compulsory third party insurance cover - known as " Green Slips " - that we must have to register our cars. The problem is that payouts have become a " lawyers picnic ". Not only are outcomes delayed by protracted court action. The legal fees take a big bite of awards given.
Barry O'Farrell is looking at ways to drive down the premium and there are plans to convert the scheme to a " no fault " regime, which should result in at least a 15% premium reduction. At present, the average NSW cost of a Green slip is the second highest in Australia at $ 518. The Australian Capital Territory takes the dubious title with a $ 526 charge - but motorists in Queensland pay only $ 299.
Most people will applaud a change that removes court litigation, takes the lawyers out of the loop - and drives down costs to make life a little easier for the average car owner. Perhaps this would be a good time to give thought to the impost green slips make on owners of a " second car " - which spends most of it's life in the shed and rarely clocks up much mileage.
At present, the green slip impost is precisely the same as for a car that is driven huge distances each year. It would be nice if such costs could be tailored to reflect such differences.
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