NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey coy about Eraring and housing affordability as he prepares to hand down first Budget

New South Wales Treasurer Daniel Mookhey was evasive when asked about the government’s plans on housing and the Eraring coal fired power plant as he previewed the upcoming state Budget.

Speaking to Sky News Australia on Wednesday, the NSW Treasurer said the first Labor Budget to be handed down in the state for ten years would be a “considered” document, with pledges to assist with cost of living and to rebuild “essential services”.

However, Mr Mookhey was less clear on two issues dominating the political landscape in NSW, housing and energy, and remained coy despite repeated questioning from host Laura Jayes.

Asked whether the government could deliver on its promise to construct additional homes given sceptiscism from property developers, the Treasurer pointed to steps he said the government was taking to address the issue of supply but refused to put a timeline on when new houses would be completed.

“Firstly, we have already commenced an overhaul of the NSW planning system,” he said.

“Secondly, we’ve have audited all government land to be able to find places where we can inject additional housing supply quickly and, yes, we are pressure testing major metropolitan rail projects to ensure that if we’re going to make an investment of this scale we are yielding a strong housing result.”

Asked whether the government could deliver on its promise to construct additional homes given sceptiscism from property developers, the Treasurer pointed to steps he said the government was taking to address the issue of supply but refused to put a timeline on when new houses would be completed. Picture: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

Mr Mookhey attempted to claim the government had made “more progress” on the issue in its five months in office than the previous government had made in its whole time in power, but was shut down immediately by Jayes.

“Well not really, because those homes haven’t been built and supply is the issue,” she said.

In response, the Treasurer said the government had been “very clear” about reforming the planning system to boost supply, but declined to put a timeline on when that would occur.

“We are upfront with people, it is going to be hard,” he said.

“We aren’t going to pretend this can be fixed straightaway.”

Mr Mookey was equally coy on the government’s approach to dealing with the Eraring coal fired power plant, which they have confirmed will need to have its operating life extended beyond the planned closure of the station in 2025.

Asked by Jayes how long the plant would need to remain operational for, the Treasurer deflected, instead talking about the NSW government’s recently announced funding boost for renewable energy.

Pulled back to the questions surrounding Eraring, Mr Mookhey then repeated his warning that the plant’s owner Origin should not attempt to “game the people of NSW” in order to boost profits, but again declined to provide details about a date.

Jayes then asked the Treasurer if he would include an estimate of the cost associated with keeping the plant open for longer, as well as the timeframe, in the Budget.

However, Mr Mookhey again deflected, returning to the government’s commitment to renewable energy, but did eventually concede conversations would begin soon and he would only have more to say once those had taken place.

SOURCE: SKYNEWS