[Greens-Media] (Sylvia Hale MLC) Quicker Project Approvals A Threat To Community and Environment

[Christopher Holley]

Quicker Project Approvals A Threat To Community and Environment

The target set by new Planning Minister Kristina Keneally for
accelerated approvals for land releases and major projects must not come
at the expense of transparency, community input and protection of the
environment, according to NSW Greens MP Sylvia Hale.

“The government has completely gutted the planning laws at the behest
of the development lobby, always claiming that it was “reducing red
tape”. Now it is trotting out the same tired and abused excuse to
justify the latest round of bureaucratic threats to the community and
the environment,” said Ms Hale.

“With the projected growth in the population of Sydney we are facing
some very serious planning questions over the next decade. To face those
questions we need a properly considered, robust and transparent
development assessment process that has strong community support. What
we are getting instead from the government is panic restructures and
arbitrary targets.”

“Speed does not mean quality. It is unacceptable for there to be any
further reduction in community consultation or environmental or heritage
protection as a result of the setting of arbitrary targets.”

“The restructure of the Department of Planning, the Sydney Harbour
Foreshore Authority and the Growth Centres Commission will yield
monetary savings but also result in greater centralisation of power and
a loss of local expertise.”

“There is no doubt that the Department of Planning has been
struggling with so many projects being called in for approval under the
Minister’s notorious Part 3A powers. Rather than further centralising
power and resources the government should be decentralising the approval
process and getting the community more involved,” Ms Hale said.

 Further information: Chris Holley 02 9230 3030 / 0437 779 546