Inquiry needed

SAVE OUR SUBURBS

MEDIA RELEASE

23 February 2008

Save Our Suburbs demands inquiry into Government Planning Policies

The staggering revelations about developer donations inevitably lead to questions about the NSW Government’s high-density policies (termed “urban consolidation”). The Department of Planning has

never provided credible justification for this policy which provides huge profits for high-rise developers who in turn make large political donations.

It is undeniable and well documented that high-density is detrimental to the public good [1]. Greenhouse gas emissions per person are greater in high-density [2]. The policy overloads infrastructure. Choking traffic congestion and longer travel times result. Sewers overflow, electricity supply is at breaking point and there are chronic water shortages. High-density policies create land shortages that result in unaffordable housing. Concrete, tiles and bitumen replace trees, gardens and public open space. Sustainablility is adversely affected.

Current media coverage reveals the huge donations high-density developers make to the political parties. What is not yet being publicised is the long history the Department of Planning has of working closely with developers. The Department demands that councils submit strategies for high-density (under threat of taking away their planning powers) and developers who subsequently stand to benefit are actively involved in the assessment of these strategies [3]. Under these circumstances, a good example from the top state planning department is not being set for councils. Proposed changes to the planning system, involving state appointed planning panels, are unlikely to improve the situation.

It needs to be questioned why a policy detrimental to the public interest is being forced onto communities, as this policy provides huge profits [4] to organisations that are actively participating in its formulation and implementation and which make massive donations to the major political parties. Save Our Suburbs demands an Upper House inquiry into the motivation for this policy.

Further information: Tony Recsei 02 9487 2061

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[1] See www.sos.org.au

[2] See http://www.acfonline.org.au/custom_atlas/index.html

[3] For example as at 16 November 2000 the Departmernt’s “Residential Strategy Advisory Committee” consisted of:

John Collins (DUAP Assistant Director-General and Chair)

Peter Woods (Mayor of Concord and President of the Local Government Association)

Bruce McDonald (Director of Strategic and Economic Planning, Penrith Council)

Ian Costley (Mirvac Group - standing in for Robert Hamilton, the General Manager)

Neil Bird, (Urban Pacific Ltd)

Peter Lean (Urban Development Institute of Australia).

After this situation was publicly revealed on the ABC Stateline program of 30/03/01 the committee was replaced with a less obvious method of involving developers in the planning process but the overall effect is the same.

[4] In a letter to the Department of Urban Affairs and Planning dated 17 November 2000, Ian Costley, Development Director of Mirvac reports on the financial viability of development that would result if a residential strategy submitted by Ku-ring-gai Council were to be accepted by the Department. In this report internal rates of return of up to 128% on Mirvac’s equity investment were considered “not viable”.

A gift for charities

A gift for charities
Sydney Morning Herald, 11 may 2007, page 10



The hypocrisy of Morris Iemma and Barry O'Farrell wanting to investigate political donations is mind-boggling ("Show us the money", May 10). If they were genuine, all the Liberal and Labor parties have to do is to pass on to charity the huge donations they receive from developers who are hell-bent on turning Sydney into an overcrowded, polluted, crime-ridden, treeless slum.



Hugh Knox Gordon

March letters published

The Daily Telegraph

Edition 1 - StateTHU 01 MAR 2007, Page 028
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Both sides of politics let the faithful down

Another bungle from the Labor Party (“Calamity Costa cut out of poll picture,” The Daily Telegraph, February 28). Is Morris Iemma trying to catch up with Peter Debnam?

Both major parties have shown themselves to be grossly incompetent. One way or another, both have betrayed and ignored their supporters at local, state and federal level and made a mockery of democracy. Both accept huge donations from developers and Sydney is turning into a slum.

So put Labor and Liberal last on your ballot paper. Vote for one of the minor parties or an independent. Make the major parties work for their mandate.

Hugh Knox, Gordon
(Hugh is a member of SOS).

Australand - WA Corruption and Crimes Commission

Evidence given before the WA Corruption and Crime Commision:
DEVELOPER AUSTRALAND ADMITS SECRET PAYMENTS TO HELP WIN GOVERNMENT APPROVAL

The Australian Financial Review (19 and 20 February 2007) reports on evidence given before the WA Corruption and Crime Commision. Property Developer Australand's senior executive in Perth, Chris Lewis admitted he put together a deal for Australand to secretly bankroll the election campaign of a Perth mayor, Mr Stephen Lee. Mr Lee was an open supporter of the contraversial Port Coogee $900 million Australand residential development project south of Perth. Via a front company, Australand secretly payed $43,000 to the election campaign of Mr Lee. A taped phone call reveals Mr Lewis saying "I just don't know whether I should be speaking on the phone" to which the person he was speaking to replied "Oh I see, yeah alright well mate. No, its probably a better idea not to speak on the phone". The person he was speaking to was disgraced former West Australian premier Brian Burke.

It seems the millions of dollars of donations to political parties that are reported according to the law are only the tip of the iceberg.