"Planning Minister Tony Kelly's assertions today about the vaue of Part 3A of the planning system for regional NSW shows just how out of touch his government is with public opinion," Greens MP and lead Upper House candidate David Shoebridge said while touring Northern NSW. Read Minister Kelly's release.
"Communities across regional NSW are involved in battling Part 3A developments. The laws are emblematic of all that is wrong with NSW's planning system.They allow the approval of developments without community consultation or adherence to local planning or environmental regulations.
"When Mr Kelly talks about 'resolving environmental and amenity issues' through Part 3A, this is code for ignoring local environment and planning regulations.
"Many of the developments Mr Kelly paints as achievements are gross overdevelopments mired in controversy.
"A recent Part 3A approval at Hearnes Lake near Coffs Harbour approved close to 200 lots on a flood prone site where the local council recommended around 30. Studies conducted by the local council found that besides floods the land at Hearnes Lake is at serious risk of inundation through erosion and sea level rises.
"With recent record flooding you would think a State Planning Minister would be looking for ways to protect future residents, not place them directly in harm's way. Instead he is ignoring the evidence of flooding risk and approving highly inappropriate coastal development.
"Just before Christmas, Mr Kelly snuck through an approval for 7,500 residential units at Huntlee in the Hunter Valley. This is on a site which was ranked last out of 91 potential sites in terms of suitability for large scale residential development in the Hunter.
"This development will also see the destruction of 60 per cent of the remnant habitat of the critically endangered native plant Persoonia Pauciflora.
"ICAC has found that there is an obvious risk of corruption in having any one politician with an unlimited discretion to approve large scale private developments under Part 3A.
"The Greens are calling for Part 3A to be abolished and developments of genuine state significance to be assessed by an Independent State Planning Commission, not a politician," Mr Shoebridge said.