Call for Review of Planning Part 3A Approvals

Yesterday's Land and Environment Court victory to Gwandalan - Catherine Hill Bay has called into question other dodgy decisions made by former Planning minister Frank Sartor.  A memorandum of agreement was made with the developer - which constituted a deal.

Sandon Point court applicant Jill Walker believes a similar state of "apprehended agreement" existed concerning Sartor's Sandon Point Part 3A approval 21/12/2006.

"Not only was Stockland's original Masterplan reinstated in the Part 3A Concept Plan, but a deal made in August 2000 with Wollongong Council to give Stockland access through Thomas Gibson Community Park was again requested by Minister Sartor" she said.

Sartor's Part 3A legislation reversed the recommendations of the 2003 Sandon Point Commission of Inquiry to protect some of the land, as "significant inherent cultural, ecological and social values [are] too important to be compromised by the level of development proposed ... in Council's draft DCP or Stockland's draft Master Plan."

Also Illawarra Minister David Campbell facilitated the application of Anglican Retirement Villages to subdivide Cooksons site including the heritage Turpentine Forest; Ray Hannah made a deal for Stockland to engineer floodplain creeks in protected land in exchange for access; and Stockland made secret plans to demolish Thirroul's heritage Wrexham Road Bridge into Thomas Gibson Park - all without public consultation - and all enabled by the Part 3A Concept Plan.

This is separate to the donations scandal which saw large amounts of money donated by Stockland to the ALP prior to the Part 3A approval, from which Planning Minister Keneally has promised to distance herself in future decisions.

It is time for all decisions made by Minister Sartor under Part 3A to be investigated, and the tyrannical Act itself to be reviewed.  No minister should have the power to disregard State expert agencies and the rights of community consultation. Part 3A of the EP&A Act has no credibility.

It is also high time for a Bill of Rights to be bound into every piece of legislation to end the current dictatorship of political power and big money.
 
Jill Walker         
Sandon Point Community Picket