The NSW Opposition says Newcastle does not want planning decisions "made by a bunch of Sydney bureaucrats" after the government announced a new Cities Minister on Thursday.
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Premier Dominic Perrottet will establish the new ministry and change the name of the Greater Sydney Commission strategic planning agency to the Greater Cities Commission as it takes Newcastle, Wollongong and the Central Coast under its wing.
"These are cities already undergoing rapid change and revitalisation," he said in his News Corp Bradfield Oration.
"Newcastle, the Central Coast and Wollongong are already home to [university] campuses that punch well above their weight with growing global reputations in fields like energy, engineering and health sciences."
The existing Greater Sydney Commission comprises five commissioners and the senior civil servants from the departments of premier and cabinet, treasury, planning and transport. It reports to the Minister for Planning.
Labor's shadow minister for the Hunter, Yasmin Catley, dismissed the changes, which will be part of an imminent cabinet reshuffle.
"We all want to make our region stronger, but we do that by investing in the area, not giving some minister a new title," she said.
"We have projects and initiatives ready to go, but they have been left waiting for funding by this premier in his former role as treasurer.
"This is not going to deliver better results for our region but simply sideline local decision-makers."
Newcastle lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes said she did not support the new commission if it lacked Hunter people.
"The failure of the Greater Sydney Commission is in its unelected commissioners and lack of local government and local community input," she said.
"Newcastle is not part of Sydney. We should have our own Greater Newcastle Commission."
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