Liverpool City Councillor Nathan Hagarty has called for more transparency and equity with compulsory land acquisitions at the Aerotropolis.
“The current system for compulsory land acquisition is opaque, unfair and inefficient,’’ he says.
“Landowners, residents and ratepayers are all disadvantaged by the current system,” said Councillor Hagarty, pictured above.
The recent rezoning of the 11,200-hectare Aerotropolis by the State Government has earmarked large portions of the site as undevelopable parks, open space, and water courses.
Despite this, the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment have not released any plans on which government agencies will acquire the land and when, leaving many landowners with no option but to sit and wait.
“To date, the State Government has only committed to acquiring a small stretch of land along Thompsons Creek. With private buyers no longer interested, this has left landowners stranded,’’ he said.
“With no concrete timeline or a plan to acquire their land, landowners could be waiting up to a decade.
“It is unfair and needs fixing fast.
“We’ve got urgent physical and mental health issues here, not to mention financial distress.
“I’ve received firsthand reports of family breakdowns through divorce, terminal illness, and serious depression.
“This is not just a bunch of colours on a map, this is people’s lives, they feel stuck with no way out,” he said.
Councillor Hagarty plans to call for all three levels of government to work together to fund and administer a scheme that allows landowners across the entire Aerotropolis facing hardship to apply for early acquisition.
“Landowners know the Airport is coming and are happy to see it come to fruition,’’ he said.
“They just want to be treated fairly so they plan out the rest of their lives,” Councillor Hagarty said.
The proposed motion will be tabled at the first Liverpool City Council meeting in 2021, scheduled for Wednesday, February 3.
