As a result of heavy amendments in the Upper House by Labor, the Greens and the Shooters and Fishers, this morning in the Lower House, Minister Hazzard withdrew the NSW Planning Bills until February/March next year.

This is a very positive development, but we will need to keep on fighting to ensure that the Bills do not become law next year and that our planning system is reformed in a way that genuinely addresses the persistent problems that continue to plague planning and development in NSW.

The Nature Conservation Council has provided a preliminary analysis of amendments made in the Upper House over the last couple of days:   Preliminary analysis of amendments to the Planning Bills

Voted to support the Bills in the Upper House: Labor Party, Shooters and Fishers, Christian Democrats and Government MPs

Voted against the Bills in the Upper House:  Greens NSW

Overall, the amended legislation still represents an enormous backward step on environmental protection and community rights.

BUT the strength of community opposition to the government’s developer-driven agenda will provide a firm foundation for our future work on the regulations, state planning policies and strategic plans.

We want to thank everyone who took action and acknowledge the tremendous work of the Better Planning Network over the past two years.  A summary of the amendments passed by the Upper House will be available soon.   Please take a few minutes to email politicians to let them know what you think of their position. Feedback is very important.

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The NSW Government does not have the majority in the Upper House.  It needs the vote of either: Labor; and/or the Greens; and/or the Christian Democrats and the Shooters and Fishers to get the planning legislation through.  

Email or phone to  stop the planning bills becoming law:   

• The bills will make it easy for developers will be able to override local councils’ planning controls to get their rezoning requests approved by the State, by the issuing of Strategic Compatibility Certificates (a green light to a spot rezoning) goes against the very concept of strategic planning.
• The restriction of code-assessable development to ‘nominated growth areas’ will create 2 classes of residents: the first, in low-density suburbs, will have the right to comment on most developments in their neighbourhood; the second, in growth areas, will not.
• Will not improve housing affordability simply by increasing housing supply.  This is because the drivers of housing affordability are complex and include tax (eg. negative gearing) and welfare policies which the Planning Bills will not address.

No amount of tweaking can fix the Bills and it’s best to scrap the Bills and work with all stakeholders to draft new legislation.

W h o   to  c a l l   or   e m a i l: (more…)

The Second Reading debate have began in the Legislative Council.   The NSW ALP indicated that it would agree to send the Bills to Committee where, as Shadow Minister for Planning and Infrastructure, Luke Foley, said Labor hopes to ‘improve the Bill to a point that would allow its passage’.

“Luke Foley and Greens Planning spokesman David Shoebridge outlined so many problems with the Bills that it’s hard to see how this legislation will retain any cohesive and consistent structure at the end of the Committee process,” said BPN’s Corinne Fisher.

We can only hope that as negotiations proceed over the next few days, the ALP, Greens and the other minor parties will conclude that these Bills.  Thanks to all who have lobbied and worked to stop these bills.

Phone or email key Labor MPs and urge them to reject the bill when it comes to the Senate this week.  The implications are V E R Y   P R F O U N D  for quality of life in NSW.

Ask your group members, friend and family to do the same.  

• Luke Foley, Shadow Minister for Planning and Infrastructure 9230 2927 Luke.Foley@parliament.nsw.gov.au
• John Robertson, Leader of the Oppposition 9230 2310, Leader.opposition@parliament.nsw.gov.au
• Ron Hoenig, Member for Heffron 9699 8166, Heffron@parliament.nsw.gov.au
• Nathan Rees, Member for Toongabbie 9831 8022, Toongabbie@parliament.nsw.gov.au
• Linda Burney, Member for Canterbury 9718 1234, Canterbury@parliament.nsw.gov.au
• Carmel Tebbutt, Member for Marrickville  9572 5900, Marrickville@parliament.nsw.gov.au
• Penny Sharpe, MLC 9230 2741, Penny.sharpe@parliament.nsw.gov.au
• Tania Mikailuk, Member for Bankstown 9708 3838, Bankstown@parliament.nsw.gov.au
• Sophie Cotsis, MLC 9230 2080,  Sophie.cotsis@parliament.nsw.gov.au
• Peter Primrose, MLC 9230 2686, Peter.primrose@parliament.nsw.gov.au

As expected,  the Government used its majority in the Lower House to push through the Planning Bills.

So what’s next?

The Bills will be debated in the Upper House in mid-November.  To get its Bills through the Government needs to get the votes of the Greens and/or the Labor Party and/or both the Shooters and Fishers and the Christian Democrats.

The Greens and the Shooters and Fishers have both indicated that they are unlikely to support the Bills.  So it is vital that Labor stands firm as well.  

Call the office of the Shadow Minister for Planning and Infrastructure, the Hon. Luke Foley, MLC 

Phone 9230 2927  Email: Luke.Foley@parliament.nsw.gov.au

Further information:  http://betterplanningnetwork.good.do/

For details about how MPs voted:

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It is now clear that the re-drafted bills

• won’t provide adequate heritage protection
• won’t return planning powers to local communities
• won’t increase certainty and transparency in our planning system
• won’t provide adequate environmental protection
• won’t improve housing affordability.

Check this summary of the changes to the Planning Bill

Phone Anthony Roberts  and voice your concerns THIS WEEK:  9817 4757 or 9228 5276 Email lanecove@parliament.nsw.gov.au.

Also, phone the Shadow Minister for Planning and Infrastructure, the Hon Luke Foley, MLC or email him to urge Labor to vote against the Bills. Ph: 9230 2927 luke.foley@parliament.nsw.gov.au.