16 December | Reform & Precinct Tracker

Please see below December's edition of the PremierNational Property, Planning and Infrastructure ‘Reform & Precinct Tracker’. This is a monthly newsletter prepared by PremierNational to track the progress of major NSW Government policy and regulatory proposals from the initial announcement through to implementation.

Included in this email, you will also find some high-level PremierNational insights into the Minister for Tourism, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Minister for the Arts and Minister for Regional Youth, Ben Franklin.

Please contact our Director Ilana Waldman, Special Counsel Lino Caccavo or Special Counsel Antony Anisse if you have any questions with respect to any of these items.

QUICK REFORM PROGRESS OVERVIEW

REFORM + PRECINCT TRACKER

Ben Franklin has been a member of the NSW Legislative Council since 2015, and is currently Minister for Tourism, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Minister for the Arts and Minister for Regional Youth. He was previously Parliamentary Secretary for Renewable Energy and Northern NSW between 2017 and 2019 and Parliamentary Secretary for Energy and the Arts between 2019 and 2021. Minister Franklin is based in the Northern Rivers and is very active in the local community.

Minister Franklin has a strong background in communications, having been National Director of Communication and Advocacy at UNICEF Australia before his appointment as State Director of the Nationals from 2008 to 2015, during which time he led the Nationals to resounding election victories in 2011 and 2015. A longtime political operative, he was also President of the NSW Young Liberals in 2001 and 2002.

Minister Franklin is particularly focused on access to employment, cultural and educational opportunities in regional NSW and has delivered huge investment to the regions during his time in Cabinet. He is very much considered to be one of the strongest performing Ministers in the Perrottet/Toole Government.