Included in this Journal is The Trust’s submission on the draft Local Environment Plans and Development Control Plans for Gladesville and Victoria Road, which have been prepared by Hunters Hill and Ryde Councils.
In it we point out that the big picture planning issues of global warming, an unsustainable “continuous growth” economy, peak oil and population growth have not even been acknowledged let alone planned for. We also point out that the plans are out of step with the NSW Department of Planning’s latest advice regarding the health impacts from living near major roads.
As well, the Plans do not contain any details as to how an objective such as “provide an elevated connection across Victoria Rd to Council and RTA satisfaction” is to be achieved. Effectively all the Plans’ objectives rely entirely on private developers being prepared to accept a couple of carrots to leaven their proposals with a teaspoon of public benefit. This is much more like wishful thinking than planning.
Our submission did not address the fact that the Plans make no allowance for a possible railway station at Gladesville, which may or may not be part of a State Government “Metro” scheme. But this may be a unique example of the Plans’ foresight, particularly when you read yet another example of Metro madness like the one that appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald of March 24, 2009:
MORE than 20,000 people an hour could be stranded at Rozelle in the afternoon peak when they get off the proposed $4.8 billion CBD Metro.
The state’s top transport agency has revealed no examination has been undertaken on how the metro will integrate with a separate $162 million upgrade of Victoria Road,
potentially creating bedlam at the end of the metro line at Darling Street at Victoria Road, one of the busiest intersections in the country.
The metro will be able to carry up to 30,000 people an hour to Rozelle. But when they get off the metro, the Government only has room for about 3100 people an hour on buses to take them home.
In a letter to the Department of Planning, the Ministry of Transport has raised concerns about “potentially competing objectives” between the hurried metro proposal and the plan to duplicate Iron Cove Bridge.
Planning documents used to justify the road upgrade were prepared while a different metro proposal – for one along Victoria Road to Denistone – was policy.
Putting all this together, it is clear that the planning process in NSW is in a state of disarray and Barry O’Farrell is right when he says that Premier is: “making it up as he goes along, scribbling notes on the back of lemon- squash coasters and presenting that as some hope for the public of NSW.” This is not to say that Mr. O’ Farrell has any plans of merit himself, which only further adds to the sense of gloom.
On top of all this comes the Downturn. But there may be a silver lining in these dark economic clouds. After all, much of Sydney’s existing heritage, including the 19th century houses of Paddington, Woollahra, Balmain and Hunters Hill have survived because of neglect during periods of economic downturn when scarce development money was spent elsewhere. This of course is the do- nothing option, an option that was not canvassed in any of the planning proposals above, but one that is often the best and the cheapest.
This entry was posted in General News, Journal Articles. Bookmark the
permalink. Both comments and trackbacks are currently closed.
From the President’s desktop
Included in this Journal is The Trust’s submission on the draft Local Environment Plans and Development Control Plans for Gladesville and Victoria Road, which have been prepared by Hunters Hill and Ryde Councils.
In it we point out that the big picture planning issues of global warming, an unsustainable “continuous growth” economy, peak oil and population growth have not even been acknowledged let alone planned for. We also point out that the plans are out of step with the NSW Department of Planning’s latest advice regarding the health impacts from living near major roads.
As well, the Plans do not contain any details as to how an objective such as “provide an elevated connection across Victoria Rd to Council and RTA satisfaction” is to be achieved. Effectively all the Plans’ objectives rely entirely on private developers being prepared to accept a couple of carrots to leaven their proposals with a teaspoon of public benefit. This is much more like wishful thinking than planning.
Our submission did not address the fact that the Plans make no allowance for a possible railway station at Gladesville, which may or may not be part of a State Government “Metro” scheme. But this may be a unique example of the Plans’ foresight, particularly when you read yet another example of Metro madness like the one that appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald of March 24, 2009:
MORE than 20,000 people an hour could be stranded at Rozelle in the afternoon peak when they get off the proposed $4.8 billion CBD Metro.
The state’s top transport agency has revealed no examination has been undertaken on how the metro will integrate with a separate $162 million upgrade of Victoria Road,
potentially creating bedlam at the end of the metro line at Darling Street at Victoria Road, one of the busiest intersections in the country.
The metro will be able to carry up to 30,000 people an hour to Rozelle. But when they get off the metro, the Government only has room for about 3100 people an hour on buses to take them home.
In a letter to the Department of Planning, the Ministry of Transport has raised concerns about “potentially competing objectives” between the hurried metro proposal and the plan to duplicate Iron Cove Bridge.
Planning documents used to justify the road upgrade were prepared while a different metro proposal – for one along Victoria Road to Denistone – was policy.
Putting all this together, it is clear that the planning process in NSW is in a state of disarray and Barry O’Farrell is right when he says that Premier is: “making it up as he goes along, scribbling notes on the back of lemon- squash coasters and presenting that as some hope for the public of NSW.” This is not to say that Mr. O’ Farrell has any plans of merit himself, which only further adds to the sense of gloom.
On top of all this comes the Downturn. But there may be a silver lining in these dark economic clouds. After all, much of Sydney’s existing heritage, including the 19th century houses of Paddington, Woollahra, Balmain and Hunters Hill have survived because of neglect during periods of economic downturn when scarce development money was spent elsewhere. This of course is the do- nothing option, an option that was not canvassed in any of the planning proposals above, but one that is often the best and the cheapest.