The NSW Greens 2009

Bad Developer Awards

Richo wins, NSW loses

Former Labor Party Senator Graham Richardson has won this year’s Golden Toaster at The Greens Bad Developer awards night.

The Golden Toaster, named after the notorious Toaster development at Circular Quay, is annually awarded to someone who has made a conspicuous contribution to development in NSW. Mr Richardson beat off strong challenges from the Medich brothers and from the largest political donor in NSW, Bob Rose.

“Mr Richardson impressed the judges with his keenness to maintain his involvement in planning decisions, despite having no particular qualifications in this field,” said Sylvia Hale, NSW Greens MP and spokesperson for Planning.

“Since 1999 companies for whom he lobbies – Medich Property Holdings, the Walker Group, Bradcorp, and Hardie Holdings -- have collectively donated $1,400,647 to the NSW Labor Party ($278,400, $451,517, $385,030 and $285,700 respectively).

“Mr Richardson’s winning of the coveted Golden Toaster is a recognition of his unique gifts. He has, for more than 30 years, been a role model for fellow retired ALP Ministers and current lobbyists such as Bob Carr, Craig Knowles, Gary Punch, Carl Scully and Sandra Nori. We all know how hard it is making ends meet on parliamentary super.

“The role of lobbyists is not, as Planning Minister Keneally would say,  ‘I-L-L-E-G-A-L’, but reflects the triumph of influence peddling and corporate donations over merit-based decision making. A lot of contacts accompanied by a lot of cash never goes amiss when it comes to development approval in this state.

“It is rare for me for me to agree with former Planning Minister, Frank Sartor, but he was right to say that lobbyists should have no role in merit-based decision making. Indeed, most people would ask whether they should have any role at all,” Ms Hale said.

Click here to see

 Bad Developer Awards 2009 Presentation 

2009 Bad Developer Awards Winners

Dishonourable Awards

Honourable awards

The NSW Greens 2008

Bad Developer Awards

Wollongong Cleans Up at

Bad Developer Awards

Wollongong Council and the Illawarra’s corrupt developers have featured prominently in this year’s “Toasters” awards for bad development, hosted by NSW Greens MP Sylvia Hale.

Corrupt Wollongong developer Frank Vellar took out the coveted “Golden Toaster” as the Bad Developer of the Year for 2008.

The sacked Wollongong Council, which has had ICAC corruption findings made against eight former Councillors and staff members, was named Worst Council.

“I can’t think of any developer in the history of these awards who so richly deserves the title of “Bad Developer”, said Ms Hale.

“The corruption surrounding Wollongong Council has exposed the sleazy side of the property development industry. I guess they have done us a favour by showing just how compromised the planning system can become when developers start splashing around money to buy results.”

There were over 50 nominations across10 categories for this year’s awards.

“Its not surprising that we have had so many nominations this year. Encouraged by the state government’s new planning laws unscrupulous developers are outdoing themselves finding new ways to make a quid out of wrecking the environment and the heritage of our villages, towns and cities.”

Other notable award “winners” were the V8 supercar track at Olympic Park which won in the worst commercial development category and the proposed Tillegra Dam in the Hunter Valley for most environmentally damaging development, both of which have state government backing.

Proposed housing developments at Currawong on Pittwater and Catherine Hill Bay, south of Newcastle took out the metropolitan and regional awards respectively for worst residential developments.

The Coalition for Planning Reform, made up of various development industry lobby groups won the award for “most insidious industry group lobbying effort” for its support for Frank Sartor’s recent pro-developer amendments to the planning laws

On a more positive note the Camden Haven Eco-Village on the mid-North coast won the best development category and The Friends of Currawong and the Catherine Hill Bay Progress Association shared the award for best community campaign.

2008 Toasters Awards for Bad Development

Hosted by NSW Greens MP Sylvia Hale

The NSW Greens 2007

Bad Developer Awards

Harry Awarded For Crimes Against Amenity

The annual Bad Developer Awards, nicknamed “The Toasters” after the notorious East Circular Quay development, have been awarded this evening and the major winners include property magnate Harry Triguboff, the proposed Rose Bay mega-marina and the Anvil Hill coal mine in the Hunter Valley.

Harry Triguboff, who nudged out perennial winner Planning Minister Frank Sartor, won the “Golden Toaster for Crimes Against Amenity” for his call for the Royal National Park, south of Sydney, to be opened up for new housing development. Mr Triguboff dismissed those who objected to his proposal saying “If they want to see trees they can go to Katoomba.”

"I think the Golden Toaster award for crimes against amenity" reflects the popular response to Mr Triguboff's suggestion.," said the awards host Greens MP, Sylvia Hale.

" The suggestion of covering a national park with project housing deserves a very public razzing."

The proposed Rose Bay mega-marina won the metropolitan award for worst commercial/industrial development. The proposed marina will cater for large power boats owned by some of Sydney’s richest residents and has been likened to McMansions by the sea.

Most environmentally-destructive development (metropolitan) went to the Port Enfield inter-modal freight centre which is driven by the expansion of Port Botany and will see thousands of trucks travelling through some of Sydney’s most densely populated suburbs twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. The regional award went to the Anvil Hill coal mine in the Hunter Valley which will increase the state’s greenhouse gas emissions by a third and threaten surrounding water sources as well as the local horse breeding and wine-making industries.

Worst metropolitan Council went to Canada Bay council for its granting of public land to a politically connected private developer, a matter currently before the ICAC and for its approval of the demolition of a cottage in an urban conservation zone.

Most insidious industry lobbying effort was won by the NSW Urban Taskforce for its campaign to have the planning laws rewritten to remove local councils from decision-making about developments.

The Department of Lands won worst government department for its leasing of the Killalea state park for a resort development and its proposed sale of public park land at Coffs Harbour.

On a more positive note the best metropolitan community campaign went to Friends of Callan Park. Joint regional winners were the Save Killalea Alliance and Rising Tide.

In the media categories best commentary on development issues went to Elizabeth Farrelly of the Sydney Morning Herald, best investigation of a development issue went to Debra Jopson and Catharine Munro of the Sydney Morning Herald for their investigation of Sydney Harbour marina developments and best reporting of a specific development went to Scott Bevan of the ABC and Sarah Allely of the Illawarra Mercury.

2007 Bad Developer Awards Winners

Dishonourable Awards

Honourable awards

Media awards

The NSW Greens 2006

Bad Developer Awards

Aussie John’s Mansion & the “Cement Terminal On the Bay” Win Worst Development Awards 

The annual Toasters Awards for Worst Developments have been won by Aussie John Symond’s Mansion at Point Piper and the White Bay Cement Terminal in Balmain. The awards are to be announced at tonight’s Toasters Awards in Sydney. The Symond mansion won worst residential development, while the proposed cement terminal won the worst industrial development.

The Symond mansion includes over a dozen bathrooms, space for 16 cars and its own power sub-station. Host of the Toasters, Greens MP Sylvia Hale, described it as “unsustainable housing taken to a ludicrous extreme.”

The proposed cement terminal will be up to 55 metres high and 30 metres wide on the harbour shoreline next to the Anzac bridge.

“This development is a classic example of the state government having the power to override local community objections and imposing a massive overdevelopment on a site next to the harbour and Sydney’s Anzac bridge. It epitomises the way bad developments have plagued this city almost since its inception” said Ms Hale.

Other winners are:

Lifetime achievement in bad development: the NSW Labor government for its disastrous road tunnel developments, amendments to the Environmental Planning And Assessment Act to allow the Minister for Planning to override local community objections and approve large developments

Worst Council: Eurobodalla Shire Council for numerous bad decisions including environmentally destructive developments at Malua Bay and Long Beach and the Surf Road bypass.

Worst Government Department: Department of Planning, for approval of a 750 unit residential development on the site of the Rehabilitation Centre at Ryde that will increase the number of dwellings in the suburb of Putney by 50%.

Best Development: Bega Eco Neighbourhood Development (BEND) an environmentally sustainable community residential development on the outskirts of Bega on the NSW South Coast, featuring on-site solar power and water recycling systems.

Best Community campaign: CAPO - the Coalition Against Private Overdevelopment for their community campaign against the Ryde rehabilitation centre development which involved over 3000 residents and many innovative campaign tactics.

Best Council: Gosford Council for its affordable housing Local Environment Plan that protects long term residents of residential parks.

The NSW Greens 2005

Bad Developer Awards

Stockland named

“Bad Developer of the Year”

Worst case of environmental vandalism : Rosecorp

won the award for a proposed development on Wallarah Peninsula on the Central Coast despite breaching nearly every possible planning policy and regulation.

The Frank Sator Destruction of Community Award: Westfield

 for their shopping malls that hijack major public transport links, forcing commuters to bypass local shops and walk through a Westfield Shoppingtown in order to catch the train.

Worst Council : Nambucca Shire Council

For too many reason to mention

Worst Government Department : Michael Costa and the RTA

won the prize for motorway disasters such as the M5 East and Cross City Tunnel at the expense of public transport.

David and Goliath award:

 The joint winners for the most inspiring community activists were Residents Against Polluting Stacks (RAPS) and the ADI residents Action Group.

Worst of the worst : Stockland

for their development of a fragile coastal headland and Aboriginal burial and tool-making site dating to 5000BC at Sandon Point, North of Wollongong.