[Greens-Media] PARNELL: Anger & tears at Mt Barker land grab meeting

[Parnell]

Media Release
Wednesday 1st September 2010


Anger & tears at Mt Barker land grab meeting


Last night, a packed community meeting overwhelmingly called on the Planning Minister's hand-picked advisory board, the Development Planning Advisory Committee (DPAC), to recommend a total rejection of the Government's urban sprawl plans for Mt Barker.

In angry and sometimes emotional scenes, questions were asked about the lack of transparency in the process, the woeful provision of infrastructure and the sheer size of the expansion.

The Mt Barker Council revealed that the land proposed for release could potentially house a population of 75,000, a phenomenal 4 fold increase on the current population of Mt Barker of 18,000.

Speaking at the meeting (the first of four scheduled to accommodate the unprecedented demand for community input), Greens MLC and planning lawyer, Mark Parnell said:

"Last night's meeting was just one of many that will take place over the next few years as the Government's urban sprawl road show kicks into life.

"The community has every right to be very angry:  this Mt Barker re-zoning is driven by private developers, not the community or Council.  The infrastructure provision is frankly woeful with a complete absence of integration of jobs, transport, water and energy," he said.

The Government's own 30 year Plan, less than a year old, set a population increase target of 15,600.  Already, enough land to accommodate around 10,000 people is in the development pipeline, leaving a need to re-zone land for only another 5-6,000 new residents.  Yet, the Government is planning to release land for an extra 45,000 people - a 9-fold increase.

"The sheer scale of the urban development planned for Mt Barker is gob-smacking.  And the community is genuinely angry at being cut out of the process.  Last night I strongly backed the call from many residents for DPAC to release their advice to the Minister.  Also, the Minister should do the decent thing and turn up to one of the remaining 3 meetings to hear what the community has to say.

"The new 'listening' Rann Government simply can not ignore the depth of genuine concern shown at last night's meeting," Mr Parnell concluded.


For further comment contact Craig Wilkins on 0434 007 893



The information in this e-mail may be confidential and/or legally privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, access to it is unauthorised and any disclosure, copying, distribution or action taken or omitted to be taken in reliance on it is prohibited and may be unlawful