[Greens-Media] PARNELL: Government duds local communities again on planning reforms

[Taylor, Sam]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday 27th November 2013

Government duds local communities again on planning reforms

The Government today used its numbers in Parliament to reject community calls for lower building heights and greater building setbacks on Greenhill and Fullarton Roads in the Burnside Council area.  The Government-dominated Environment, Resources & Development Committee of State Parliament also voted to strip local Councils of their responsibility for assessing apartment buildings of 5 storeys or higher.

ERD Committee Chair, Gay Thompson MP used her casting vote to reject changes suggested by the Burnside Residents Association and the Mayor of Unley, Lachlan Clyne, to improve recent Government moves to increase housing densities in inner-city areas. The increased densities are generally supported, but not the Government's strong arm tactics.

"These fundamental changes to planning rules show that the Government is not serious about its own Expert Panel on Planning Reform, which isn't due to report until the end of next year.

"For the last 6 months, the Government has rejected every proposed reform of the planning system put forward by community groups on the grounds that it is 'premature' to make changes before the Expert Panel has reported.  That same logic doesn't stop the Government from riding roughshod over the wishes of local councils and local communities, when it suits them to do so", said Greens Parliamentary leader (and former planning lawyer), Mark Parnell MLC.


For further information contact Mark Parnell: 0439215937






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