[Greens-Media] MARK PARNELL MLC: Councils to be banned from talking to their own community

[Parnell]

Media release
Monday 24th November, 2008


Councils to be banned from talking to their own community


Local Councils will be banned from consulting with their own community, as part of a raft of changes to planning laws to be pushed through Parliament by the Rann Government this week, says Greens MLC Mark Parnell.

The proposed Government changes to planning laws include:

§         Making it unlawful for a council to consult it's own citizens, including affected neighbours, over a "Category 1" development (eg all houses in residential areas, or any factory in an industrial area);

§         In most cases, Councils will only be able to ask questions of a developer once, even if the information provided is poor; and,

§         State-wide planning principles will now be able to over-ride local planning principles, stripping powers from elected members, and reducing the ability of Councils to set their own rules for development.

"In the name of 'cutting red tape', the Government has cut out the community," said Greens MLC and planning lawyer Mark Parnell.

"Local Councils will quite rightly feel dudded by these changes.   The Government is pushing through lowest common denominator planning, which will reduce the ability of Councils to create a unique look and feel for their community.

"Currently, some Councils are doing the right thing and telling their citizens about development applications in their local area - especially people they know will be closely affected.  If the Government gets its way, Councils will be banned from even informing neighbours about developments across their back fence. 

"Also, in most situations Councils will only get one chance to ask questions from a developer.  That is ridiculous:  often the answers give rise to even more important questions.   What happens if a developer provides vague or confusing responses? 

"These changes go far too far. The Greens will be introducing amendments to the Government's Bill to give people more of a say about what happens in their local community," he said. 

	
For further comment contact Craig Wilkins on 0434 007 893

	
 


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