Jonathan O’Dea, the State Member for Davidson has challenged Planning Minister Frank Sartor’s treatment of the Ku-ring-gai Council area including his ill-considered appointment of the Planning Panel. In debating his motion in State Parliament yesterday Mr O’Dea called for recognition of Council’s improved performance in recent years.
“Mindful that Ku-ring-gai Council has planned for over 10,000 new residential dwellings in the local area over the next 25 years under the Metropolitan Strategy, I called on the Government to exempt Ku-ring-gai from the dual occupancy provisions in SEPP 53 and to immediately consider council’s proposed conservation zones for gazettal,” Mr O’Dea said.
“Under Mayor Nick Ebbeck, Council has essentially met previous requests of the Minister and vastly improved its DA approval performance. Fellow Northern Sydney MP’s Barry O’Farrell, Rob Stokes and Brad Hazzard also spoke in support of the motion. We all realise the enormous importance local residents place on conservation and the environment.
“As Anne Carroll, President of Friends of Ku-ring-gai Environment (FOKE) said in her 2007 Report, things that should not be destroyed are being destroyed, when a civilised society should preserve what is valuable and worthy of preservation.
“The absence from the debate of Minister Sartor demonstrates his lack of courtesy, hard work or interest - not so much in what was said as in the people of Ku-ring-gai. Sadly, the public are being kicked as a political football by Minister Sartor in a one-sided game he calls progress.
“I confidently predict that Minister Sartor will end up with egg on his face and have to revisit the Planning Panel appointment process in Ku-ring-gai, which he has incompetently handled. The matter is back in cCourt today to set a hearing date.”
For further information, please call Jonathan O’Dea on 0418 241 500.
