Businesses should have a voice

Businesses should have a voiceThe Property Council’s advocacy has succeeded with a standing electoral roll to be created for NSW commercial property owners and businesses.Legislation has entered the NSW Parliament to ensure commercial property owners and their tenants are given the same right as residents – a permanent electoral roll.Currently, the electoral roll in the City of Sydney and other council areas is cleansed of non-residential voters – and they then need to re-enrol via a process that is complex, narrow and discourages participation.NSW Executive Director Glenn Byres says the Property Council’s members own, finance and manage commercial office, retail, industrial and hotel assets in the City of Sydney and across NSW.”The logic of our advocacy is simple – commercial property owners already have the right to vote, but it needs to be respected with a permanent electoral roll in the same way the residential roll is maintained,” he says.”Commercial property owners are long-haul investors in the nation’s cities and, as contributors of an enormous share of the rates base, should have a fair say in how our cities are run,” he says.”If you contribute substantial rates and taxes, you earn the right to vote.”The legislation before the Parliament is a welcomed result within the City of Sydney – but needs to be extended to other local council areas where the same problem occurs.”The Property Council’s recent opinion piece in the Daily Telegraph outlined our arguments in favour of reform.