Tripodi gets NSW ports as Costa targets approvals

<p>In yet another New South Wales ministerial shuffle, Eric Roozendaal is to hand his ports ministry to Joe Tripodi and take over Mr Tripodi’s higher ranking roads job.</p> <p>Premier Morris Iemma has also appointed Michael Costa as treasurer and infrastructure minister, giving Mr Costa a continuing key role in the state’s port developments. </p> <p>Mr Costa was ports minister before Mr Roozendaal. He said yesterday (Thursday, February 16) that he would target project approval processes as a way of tackling the frequently criticised cost of doing business in NSW. </p> <p>Mr Roozendaal spent only six months in the portfolio as part of the first cabinet of Mr Iemma, but took a high profile in publicising the impact of the Customs IT failures last October and November on traffic through Port Botany. </p> <p>Mr Tripodi’s surprise demotion from the roads portfolio to ports is being viewed as the political price of Sydney’s Cross City Motorway tunnel debacle, though both he and Mr Roozendaal are prominent figures in the ALP caucus.</p> <p>Mr Costa has been sent in to deal with the state’s troubled finances and stuttering economy. </p> <p>A party insider was reported as saying that as a treasurer, Mr Costa would not be one to "die wondering". </p> <br />