Published Letters December 2006

To Sydney Morning Herald
29 December 2006

Frank Sartor, is there a government strategy to force people out of their homes in fully built-up areas? Otherwise how will all these flats be squeezed in? As Ku-ring-gai has no space, does the minister have a secret plan to develop its national parks, as suggested by one prominent Sydney developer? How does all this increased high-rise density square with global warming’s effects on Sydney’s water and electricity supplies, both of which are already overstretched?
What we need for our future is water tanks and solar panels on single houses, and more trees to counteract the ever-increasing air pollution from the traffic on our overcrowded roads.
When will the Government start thinking about decentralisation?

Jeannette Tsoulos
Pymble


To Sydney Morning Herald
26 December 2006

The Department of Planning hides behind councils to impose high-density on Sydney communities ("Revealed: the Sydney flats squeeze", Herald 26 December). It threatens to take away council planning powers unless councils submit strategies that will provide the new dwellings it demands. The councils then cop the anger triggered by the resulting high-rise while the Department and our politicians get off scott free.

Tony Recsei
Warrawee


To Daily Telegraph
28 December 2006

Developers hold city to ransom

On the night of Wednesday, December 26, ABC television news featured a story about the NSW Government's furtive plan to increase the population of Sydney enormously.
The plan is to force the development of many huge apartment blocks on local councils and to get the councils to do the Government's dirty work.
Once again, in response to huge developer donations to the Labor and Liberal parties, the State Government is giving developers a licence to print money.
The Claytons Opposition is inert, other than to smear the opponents of profit-driven development, and Sydney is rapidly turning into a slum.
Commercial donations to major political parties must be made illegal. People who buy from developers must be warned that, if they do so, they will get only a fraction of value for their money.
And at election time, put Labor and the Liberals last. Both parties have betrayed their supporters one way or another at local, state and federal levels.
Vote for one of the minor parties or an independent.

Hugh Knox, Gordon