[Greens-Media] (Hale MLC) What does the Minister have to hide?Parliament forces Government to release Cessnock Council documents

[Colin Hesse]

Media Release
 
>From Sylvia Hale, Greens MP and spokesperson for Local Government
 
19 May 2010    - For immediate use       
            
What does the Minister have to hide?
Parliament forces Government to release Cessnock Council documents 
 
The Upper House of the State Government today passed a Greens motion
requiring the Government to release information about the complaints
Planning Minister Kelly had relied on when he wrote to Cessnock Council
on 7 May demanding that the Council show cause why its planning powers
should not be removed.
 
“This is a great day for transparency and public accountability,”
said mover of the motion Sylvia Hale, Greens MP and spokesperson for
Local Government.
 
“Despite Planning Minister Kelly telling the House earlier this week
that he would be happy to reveal details of the complaints, when it came
to the crunch he voted twice against doing so.
“It’s a gross abuse of power to threaten to remove a Council’s
powers without giving the Council details of the complaints made against
it so that it can respond.
 
“The Council has written to the Minister asking for specific details
but he has refused to supply them. 
 
“Just what does the Minister have to hide? 
 
“Is it that the complaints are so frivolous that they won’t bear
exposure to the light of day or will the documents show that the
complaints are from self-interested parties and major donors to the
Labor Party who cannot persuade a non-Labor-controlled Council of the
benefits of their proposals?
 
“When the documents are released on 3 June, I and many other people
will be keen to see what the Minister has been so keen to keep secret”
said Ms Hale.
 
Greens Councillor James Ryan welcomed the Parliament’s decision.
 
“The time taken for Cessnock Council to assess planning proposals
averages 80 days – that is only five more than the State average of 74
days,” Clr Ryan said.
 
“The record of the Department of Planning, however, is far worse than
this. The Department has been considering major planning proposals from
Cessnock Council for more than 12 months. The delays are of the
Government’s making, not Council’s.
 
“The Minister’s actions in seeking to remove Council’s planning
powers are hypocritical in the extreme,” said Clr Ryan. “I and
almost all Cessnock Councillors welcome the Parliament’s decision.”
 
Contact: for Sylvia Hale call Colin Hesse on 02 9230 3030 or 0401 719
124

For Clr James Ryan call 0414 922 591