Greens Councillor, Debbie Killian, has lodged a Notice of Motion to Shoalhaven Council’s meeting on Tuesday, October 14 to help the campaign to stop the developer takeover of NSW planning laws.
Greens MLC, Sue Higginson says proposed changes to the laws are the most dangerous changes to the planning system NSW has ever seen.
“These changes are not about solving the housing crisis. They are about handing more power to big developers and polluters.
“Under the changes, the Planning Secretary becomes the Development Coordination Authority with the power to override expert agencies on issues like environment, heritage, water and fire safety. Local councils are stripped of meaningful roles and communities lose their right to be heard.
“This type of concentrated power makes our planning system more susceptible to corruption – let’s not forget Labor has taken us down that road before!
“The Bill introduces targeted assessment development, a fast-track approval process where decision-makers are legally prohibited from considering environmental protection, ecologically sustainable development, or the public interest. This is a green light for destructive projects.
“Community participation plans are abolished and replaced with a single statewide plan set by the Planning Secretary. This means the same cookie-cutter consultation process applies everywhere, regardless of the scale, context, impacts of the proposal or the community’s wishes.
“The proposed changes wind back review and appeal rights, funnelling decisions into the Development Authority and preventing communities or objectors from holding decision makers and the system to account”
How can you help?
- Sign Sue Higginson’s petition
- Contact your local member – Liza Butler for South Coast at southcoast@parliament.nsw.gov.au or Katelin McInnerney for Kiama at kiama@parliament.nsw.gov.au
- Contact your local Councillors – https://www.shoalhaven.nsw.gov.au/Council/What-guides-us/Leadership/Mayor-and-Councillors
Shoalhaven Greens 