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Deals Behind Closed Doors Have To Stop!

This was the message from participants of The Residents Against Inappropriate Development who held a successful rally last weekat Hyde Park in Sydney. There were representatives of 30 groups from around NSW - all of whom came to express their displeasure at recent amendments to the EPA Act (Environmental and Planning Act, 1979). In particular, the Part 3A Critical Infrastructure amendment is the most abhorred by community groups as it takes away the rights of local government and communities to have a say in developments. Furthermore, once the Planning Minister approves a development, there will be no right of appeal. Part 3A was introduced in 2005. It gives extraordinary powers to the state Planning Minister to call in large developments and override local councils and environment and heritage protections. RAID protesters marched along Macquarrie St to the NSW Parliament to call on the Rees Government to revoke part 3A and all other legislation which forces unacceptable high density development on local communities.

Greens MLA Sylvia Hale said that we are all affected by the appalling development decisions which undermine the Planning Act as well as community access.  The property development industry poured millions of dollars into the Labour Party coffers and they spent it on TV ads.  12 months after being elected they introduced "reforms" to the planning laws based on the latest wish list of the development industry.
Sylvia has called on Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell to confirm that the Opposition is committed to the repeal of part 3A of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act. We only have Part 3A because the Opposition voted with the Government in 2005 to get it through the parliament. The Greens opposed its introduction. It is pleasing to see that the Opposition has realised it was wrong in supporting Part 3A in the first place and is now committed to supporting its repeal," said Ms Hale. "What we need now is for the Opposition Leader to confirm his commitment to its repeal."