Member for Davidson, Jonathan O’Dea has called on the State Government to hear and respect local community views on town planning.
Mr O’Dea made the call prior to a Community Forum tonight in Lindfield, aimed at boosting local involvement in determining Town Centre plans for Kur-ring-gai.
“The State Government is being heavy-handed. I again call on Planning Minister, Frank Sartor, to allow Kur-ring-gai’s Town Centres to be determined with local consultation by the democratically-elected Council.
“I have taken this issue to the Government numerous times, through speeches in Parliament and written questions to Minister Sartor, aimed at protecting the residents’ democratic voice in determining the future of their local communities,” Mr O’Dea said.
“I recently attended a ‘Parliament and the People’ Conference in Brisbane, which highlighted the need for governments to ensure participation, representation and engagement with the electorate. I strongly support local participatory democracy.
“Mr Sartor’s high-handed planning approach appears to thumb its nose at local democracy,” the Member for Davidson said.
“Three years after the State Government promised 160,000 new homes in the Sydney basin, recent figures show construction of new homes in New South Wales is at a record low, with limited new land releases.
“It appears the State Government’s answer is to push more housing into existing suburbs, changing their character with little thought for existing residents or additional infrastructure.
“I congratulate the organisers of the Community Forum in Lindfield and call on Planning Minister, Sartor to cease inappropriate interference with local planning processes.
“Town Centre plans should be properly determined by locally elected councillors in consultation with local residents,” Mr O’Dea concluded.
