The Urban Taskforce Australia is an industry organisation representing

property development Real estate development, or property development, is a business process, encompassing activities that range from the renovation and re-lease of existing buildings to the purchase of raw land and the sale of developed land or parcels to others. R ...

interests in Australia. It has been described in the media as one of the "most powerful lobby groups" in NSW. The "sunny face for an often shady business" - offering intimacy with "ministers and senior bureaucrats" and boasts former NSW Liberal premier

Nick Greiner Nicholas Frank Hugo Greiner (;) (born 27 April 1947) is an Australian politician who served as the 37th Premier of New South Wales from 1988 to 1992. Greiner was Leader of the New South Wales Division of the Liberal Party from 1983 to 1992 an ...

and former Labor premier Neville Wran as co-patrons—it describes its membership as "Australia's most prominent property developers and equity financiers".Urban Taskforce Australia "Representing property developers and equity financiers"
urbantaskforce.com.au; accessed 16 September 2015. According to the Taskforce it provides "a forum for people involved in the development and planning of the urban environment to engage in constructive dialogue with both government and the community." Its mission is to promote: efficient planning and environment laws; quality urban design; increased economic activity; and improved quality of life in urban communities.

History

The Urban Taskforce was founded in 1999 when a number of property developers and equity property financiers decided that they had a different view of the planning system than dedicated fund managers, asset managers and many property consultants. The founding director of the Urban Taskforce was David Tanevski from KWC Capital Partners who continues in the role of Hon. Secretary Treasurer.Urban Taskforce Australia - About Us
urbantaskforce.com.au; accessed 16 September 2015. Its started as a NSW only group, but eventually became a national organisation. While dominated by property developers and equity financiers, its membership also includes "key" builders, architects, urban planners, economists and lawyers involved in the planning and development industry.

Controversy

The Taskforce has not been without controversy. The then Premier of NSW, Bob Carr, launched it in 1999, prompting questions in Parliament. In 2007 the NSW Greens Party gave the Taskforce the dubious honour of a "Bad Developer" award for "most insidious industry lobbying effort" for its campaign to have the planning laws rewritten to remove local councils from decision-making about developments. However, the Taskforce also averred that it did not think councils should be stripped of powers altogether. A Greens Member of Parliament cited with approval the Urban Taskforce’s support for a complete ban on donations to political parties.

Activities

Urban Taskforce's achievements appear to include a cut in developer levies, exempting vast swathes of Sydney's "growth areas" from threatened species laws, and the release of a government discussion paper proposing a wide range of pro-development planning reforms.Sartor's law: Love thy neighbour
smh.com.au, 27 November 2007.

References

{{reflist Business organisations based in Australia Real estate companies of Australia Urban development in Australia