Saturday 2 November 2013

O'Farrell government plans for Planning reforms, a disaster for everyone.

The O'Farrell Government’s latest attempt to tinker with planning laws were a recipe for disaster for both those who wish to invest in this state and in local communities.

There are no real benefits for communities or developers in these new laws

Leading for the Opposition for the NSW Parliament this week, I described the Government Bills as convoluted, perplexed, botched and inconsistent. 

It provides ways to avoid planning controls to protect the local community, no transparency and no community involvement in the approval process.

Heralding community input will be at the strategic planning phase is just nonsense. The current planning laws provide for this.

The NSW Liberal and National Party promised a complete overhaul of the States Planning Legislation that would provide greater scrutiny, transparency and return local planning powers to local communities (through their councils). The Planning Bills do not do any of that. Local elected councillors will be removed from the process.

The public wants to have a say and wants to be told about the buildings in their neighbourhood and what is happening next door to them.

The new laws will allow buildings and developments to be constructed next door to someone without notification and without consultation. This is the most dangerous planning scheme this State has seen.

I set out in parliament this week why the community lost faith in the state's planning process and the way forward. What I said is here: http://parliament.nsw.gov.au/Prod/Parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LA20131029045?open&refNavID=HA8_1

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