[Greens-Media] (Sylvia Hale MLC) Developers Should Not Be Rewarded For Donations Scandal

[Christopher Holley]

Developers Should Not Be Rewarded For Donations Scandal
 
Developers should not be rewarded for the current political donations
scandal by being given control of planning decisions, according to
Sylvia Hale, NSW Greens MP and Planning spokesperson.
 
“Calls by developer lobby groups to cut local councils out of
planning decisions are a shameless attempt to cash-in on a scandal
created by political donations from the development industry itself,”
said Ms Hale.
 
“It is developer donations that are the problem, not local
democracy.”
 
“If we want to restore faith in the planning system we need to ban
political donations and strengthen transparency, accountability and
democracy.” 
 
“Developers donated millions of dollars to the Labor Party’s
election campaign. They employed a Labor Party insider to head one of
their main lobby groups.” 
 
“Since being elected Labor has pushed ahead with proposals for the
biggest re-write of planning laws since the 1970s with the stated aim of
making it quicker and easier for developers to get their projects
approved.”
 
“Labor did not disclose to the public that it intended to change the
planning laws but does anyone doubt that this was being discussed at
those Labor fundraising dinners to which the developers turned out in
force,” said Ms Hale.
 
“The public are now deeply suspicious of just what the developers
were expecting in return for their political donations, yet the
developers continue to lobby for the government to push ahead with
planning laws changes that cut the community out of planning
decisions.”
 
“The developers’ suggestion of so-called independent panels is
exposed by what has happened at Ku-ring-gai where planning powers were
taken from the Council and handed over to a panel and the Minister
appointed a former development industry lobbyist as chairperson. The
panel subsequently recommended a big increase in the areas to be zoned
for development.”
 
“Planning panels are not independent when they are made up of people
who work in and for the development and construction industry.” 
 
“There is greater accountability when planning decisions rest with
elected Councils rather than appointed panels,” said Ms Hale.
 For more information:              Chris Holley 02 9230 3030 /
0437779546