Today’s comments from the Minister for Planning attacking Labor-led Waverley Council and misleading the community over Labor’s one-size-fits-all planning policies is further evidence of the ‘get out of the way’ approach to planning, which has become a hallmark of the Government.
“Communities from Bondi to the Blue Mountains are working out what the Government’s one-size-fits-all planning approach means for their community and every time they raise legitimate questions, the Government attacks them and tells them to “get out of the way”, Mr Farlow said.
“Today we have another Labor-led Council that is questioning the State Labor Government’s ‘biggest re-zoning in Australia’s history’ and rather than engaging with their concerns, the Minister has chosen to mislead, rather than listen to the legitimate concerns of the community.”
“Chris Minns said that a fight with councils was “the last thing we want”, yet every time a Council raises legitimate concerns over his planning agenda, his Ministers are deployed to attack the councils and their communities.”
“The Minister is either misleading the community or ignorant of his policy when he says, “The Government’s reforms simply require councils to consider these housing types.”
“The fact is that the Government’s changes will override Council’s requirements, increase height and bulk, reduce tree canopy and parking requirements and allow apartments, townhouses and dual occupancies in areas where they are currently not permitted.”
“The Minister takes exception to Waverley Council’s assessment of Bondi Beach, but let’s take the example of Roscoe Street Bondi Beach, where R3 properties have a height control of 12.5m and Floor Space Ratio of 0.9:1 – under the Government’s proposals and in-fill affordable housing provisions, the building height will more than double to 27.3m and the Floor Space Ratio will more than quadruple to 3.9:1.”
“Council’s hands will be tied in assessing these developments because of the non-refusal standards the State Government are implementing that will override local council’s controls.”
“From day one in Planning this Government has told communities to ‘get out of the way’. As the wheels start to come off the Government’s plans, it’s time they listened to what the Opposition has said from the beginning and sit down with councils, work with local communities to set housing targets and formulate their local controls to deliver more housing.”
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