[Greens-Media] (Sylvia Hale MLC) Developers’ Planning Law Push Threatens Environment and Heritage

[Christopher Holley]

Developers’  Push To Take DAs from Local Councils Threatens
Environment and Heritage

The push by the state’s biggest developers to take local councils out
of planning decisions will result in a development free-for-all and the
destruction of large parts of the state’s environment and heritage,
according to NSW Greens MP, Sylvia Hale.

“The biggest problem with the planning process in this state is not
where the decisions are made or how long they take. It is that
developers are paying millions of dollars to political parties and
candidates to buy a result,” said Ms Hale. 

“The latest push is from the Property Council and the Urban
Development Institute. These are front groups for the state’s biggest
property developers who are trying to maximise the profits to be made
from development at the expense of local communities, our heritage and
the environment.”

“The development industry donated millions of dollars to the election
campaigns of the major parties and now they want what they paid for, a
development free-for-all.”

“The Minister for Planning has admitted in this morning’s Sydney
Morning Herald that the Labor Party deliberately did not campaign on the
proposal to strip local councils of their power to approve or deny
development applications. The government therefore has no mandate for
any such change,” said Ms Hale.

“The most pressing need for reform of the planning laws is for a
complete ban on political parties and candidates at all levels of
government accepting donations from property developers,” said Ms
Hale.

Contact: Chris Holley (02) 9230 3030 / 0437 779 546