[Greens-Media] MARK PARNELL MLC: Cheltenham re-zoning 'a joke'

[Parnell]

Media Release
Friday 15th August, 2008

Cheltenham re-zoning 'a joke'


The decision to rezone the Cheltenham Racecourse to Residential is an
insult to the local community, and shows that the Government cares more
about private profit for the racing industry than it does about saving
water or providing open space for the western suburbs, says Greens MLC
and environmental planning lawyer Mark Parnell.

"The process has been appalling, and the result even worse," said Mr
Parnell.

"At the public meeting 12 months ago, the Greens urged the Government to
go back to the drawing board rather than creating yet another
bog-standard housing estate on valuable open space.  Instead, we are
facing wall to wall housing on the majority of the old Cheltenham
Racecourse. 

"As the River Murray and Lower Lakes slowly die from lack of water, the
Rann Government is covering with concrete an amazing opportunity for
Adelaide to become more water self-sufficient through stormwater capture
and re-use. 

"The consultation process over re-zoning is a joke.  It is an insult to
the community, particularly those who took the trouble to put together
alternative proposals for the use of this critical parcel of open space.


"We will never know how seriously the Government took suggestions from
water experts to use Cheltenham for stormwater collection and open
space, because the Government's secretive Development Policy Advisory
Committee have refused to tell the community what advice it gave to
Minister Holloway before he made yesterday's announcement.

"Plonking hundreds of houses next to a railway line does not make this a
Transit-Orientated Development, despite the Government spin.

"In years to come, we will look back on this decision as one of the
worst missed opportunities to make Adelaide water-secure and
sustainable," he said.  

 	
For further comment contact Craig Wilkins on 0434 007 893

	


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