Greens call on Keneally to debate planning laws

“We agree with the Premier that we need a serious debate within the community about a Government’s unfettered right to compulsorily acquire private property and then hand it to developers,” said Sylvia Hale, Greens MP and spokesperson for Planning.

“The Greens believe this proposal is so important that the public should know both the details of what the Government proposes and what political parties in the Parliament have to say on the issue.

“If the Premier is serious, she’ll discuss this with The Greens, and not just the Liberals whose policies seem less and less distinguishable from the Government as each day passes.

“The Greens believe that compulsory acquisition of land should take place only where that serves a genuine public interest and not be a source of private enrichment. Where the value of land increases as a result of rezoning, the windfall profits should be taxed for the benefit of the public.

“Last year the Liberal Party supported the Government’s Land Acquisition (Just Terms Compensation) Amendment Bill to allow Parramatta City Council to compulsorily acquire its own roads and adjacent privately owned land and transfer that land to a private corporation. Unlike the Opposition, The Greens opposed that Bill.

“The proposal the Premier announced last week goes even further. It would allow the Government to acquire privately owned land and on-sell it to developers. It would be exempt from existing local planning controls, and its future use determined by an unelected and unaccountable new development authority.

“The proposal, modelled on the laws that overrode local planning requirements in order to access Federal Government’s Stimulus funding, would mean that existing heritage and residential zoning protections afforded properties under local planning laws would simply be ignored.

“It’s encouraging that the Liberal’s have so far opposed the Government’s proposals, but there is plenty of evidence to suggest that their opposition is more opportunistic than policy based.

“In the last few years the Labor Government has stripped away planning powers from elected local councils and handed those powers over to unelected panels appointed by the Minister.

“The effect of the new planning approvals system has been to reduce public scrutiny of planning and to reduce the voice of the public in how their suburbs are planned and what kind of buildings are built next to them.

“There is no doubt that we need a serious discussion of how we live and where we live, and the Greens are pleased to be a responsible part of that discussion”, said Ms Hale.

Further information: Colin Hesse on 9230 3030 or 0401 719 124