Five years ago, local councils lost their planning powers because of perceived corruption concerns.
They could no longer approve rezoning or development applications, which were determined by expert planning panels appointed by the state government.
Now the same government wants to introduce anti-corruption measures into the law governing their planning panels.
In March NSW planning minister Anthony Roberts announced plans to implement anti-corruption and anti-lobbyist measures for state government appointed planning panels.
Senior Liverpool Labor councillors Nathan Hagarty and Charishma Kaliyanda, pictured above, say the move is an admission by the state government that their planning system is fundamentally flawed.
“When planning panels were introduced in 2017, I was firmly of the view that this was an underhanded way to cut the community and their representatives out of the planning process,’’ says Cr Hagarty.
“This announcement by the minister vindicates that view.
“At the time, the minister’s rationale for stripping councillors of their powers were the ‘inappropriate’ relationships between councils and developers.
“Yet, that same minister now seeks to introduce anti-corruption and anti-lobbying measures for planning panels.
“It’s a stark admission that planning in this state NSW has been handed over to the developers at the expense of our community.
“We’ve seen examples of it time and time again in Liverpool; high rise towers full of flammable cladding, the bungled Aerotropolis zoning and townhouses crowding once peaceful suburbs,” he said.
Councillor Kaliyanda highlighted the grave concerns about accountability expressed by local residents since the introduction of expert planning panels.
“Residents know and can contact their local representatives, and if they’re not satisfied with their decisions, they know they can vote them out,’’ she said.
“They have no such option with these planning bodies,” she said
“Enough is enough, the community must have a stronger say in the kind of development they want in their neighborhoods,’’ Councillor Hagarty said.
