Member for Davidson, Jonathan O’Dea, has hosted an important meeting in his Lindfield office this week to further raise the profile of Labor’s controversial planning decisions for the Ku-ring-gai area.
“The meeting was attended by the Friends of Ku-ring-gai Environment (FOKE) Group and Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability, Catherine Cusack, who is keenly interested in the plight of Ku-ring-gai residents,” Mr O’Dea said.
Ms Cusack said “I have never seen anything so inappropriate and politically vindictive. If it proceeds, the strategy will be the greatest act of urban vandalism since the demolition of the Sydney Rocks."
“Building densities will be greater than many inner city suburbs and Ku-ring-gai’s iconic tree canopy that connects through to the National Park will be shredded like waste paper.” Ms Cusack said.
FOKE President, Anne Carroll said she wanted to ensure the alternate Environment Minister was aware of the issues facing Ku-ring-gai. “We are pleased Catherine Cusack has accepted our invitation to be guest speaker at our Annual General Meeting on Monday, 11 May.
“This week’s meeting and subsequent tour of the area helped the Shadow Minister understand the plight of residents, who feel frustrated and alienated, in their efforts to preserve the character, environment and traditional lifestyle of the Ku-ring-gai area, in the face of inappropriate development," Mrs Carroll said.
“It is clear the government, which is supposed to be ‘of the people, by the people, for the people’, is clearly not listening to the people,” Mr O’Dea added. “The meeting and tour was also attended by FOKE Vice President, Kathy Cowley and Committee Member, Janet Harwood, who has a deep commitment to preserving Ku-ring-gai’s natural environment,” said Mr O’Dea.
“It is vitally important that the beauty and appeal of Ku-ring-gai is not lost to inappropriate development, both now and in the future,” Mr O’Dea concluded.
