[Greens-Media] MARK PARNEL MLC: Big Business mates given backdoor access to planning system, say Greens

[Greens]

19 September 2006
Media Release

Big Business mates given backdoor access to planning system, say Greens

Critical parts of the planning system have been used to favour big
business back door access to quick and easy decisions at the expense of
local residents, and against the original intent of the Act, says Greens
MLC Mark Parnell.

In a speech today on the Development Act, Mr Parnell will describe how
two particular measures: 'interim' operation and 'major development'
status have allowed special 'fast track' access to favoured developers
by the Rann government.

In 1988 the then Labor Minister for Environment and Planning, Don
Hopgood, stated categorically that 'interim' operation provisions would
not be used to "speed up the approval of a particular development", but
only used to prevent opportunistic bad development.

"The government that Mike Rann was then part of, recognised the crucial
importance of public involvement in the planning system.  Now the
Premier and Minister Holloway are working their hardest to undermine
this Labor planning tradition.

"Minister Holloway uses 'major development' status only when it suits
him.  For instance, a block of flats in Hindmarsh Square was recently
declared a 'major development', but the Minister refused to do the same
for the Penola Pulp Mill, a $650 million project set to transform an
entire district," he said  

Mark Parnell will highlight the Penola Pulp Mill case in his speech
today.   "Pity the poor people of the South East.  They got hit with a
planning fast track 'double whammy'.  Not only did the Minister declare
interim operation, but then the project was not made a 'major project',
resulting in not even a basic Environmental Impact Statement being
required. 

"Ask anyone who's ever tried to get a house extension planning approval
through Council.  Why is the big end of town allowed a free ride through
the planning system at the expense of local residents?" he said.


For further comment contact Craig Wilkins on 0434 007 893



---------------------------------------------------------------------
"The information in this e-mail may be confidential and/or legally privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, access to it is unauthorised and any disclosure, copying, distribution or action taken or omitted to be taken in reliance on it is prohibited and may be unlawful."