Friends of Ku-ring-gai Environment

Andrew Taylor of SMH reports:
‘Losing its green heart’: Why a Sydney council plans to sell off green space to developers

"Ku-ring-gai resident Tim Coomes discovered the bowling club site during last year’s COVID-19 lockdown, after moving to Lindfield to be closer to his daughters’ new school.

“We discovered the community was using the old bowling club as a park and used it many times ourselves as a place to exercise with our kids – running around, playing soccer and flying kites,” he said.

Coomes said residents were also concerned about the sale of green spaces to “fund a mix of council pet projects and ongoing operational shortfall of rates funding”, and called for a review into council spending.

“The current proposal is fundamentally financially misguided, and another example of short-term thinking that is resulting in Sydney losing its green heart,” he said." ... See more

It is clear vested interests in this State have substantial power and influence over State Planning policies.

"An excerpt of the resignation letter
Further to these concerns, I have raised with you concerns that I have with the advised relationship of the Minister and Coronation Property Group. These concerns crystalised at the time of the Stop Work Orders issued under the Design and Building Practitioner’s Act, Declared Design Audit. As advised to you I received a call from the Minister’s Office shortly after a draft order was issued on Coronation’s Merrylands Development. Shortly after that call, a message was sent to me by JohnBarilaro who I was advised had recently joined the Coronation Board. This contact came to me as a message on my personal phone requesting a meeting with me. I copied that message to you. I subsequently met with Mr Barilaro to answer his questions. A separate record of that meeting exists." ... See more

State’s architect warned against developer-led dumping of green housing plan.

It is clear that the Urban Taskforce and other property industry lobby groups have too much influence over MPs and State Planning Policies.
It is time to clean this State Government up and the Ministers who are clearly acting at the behest of vested interests.
" Greens MP Cate Faehrmann said the internal emails and documents, released under a parliamentary rule, raised alarm that Urban Taskforce had “an inappropriate level of influence” over Roberts and his office, and had “deliberately set out to undermine the government architect and her work”.

“This SEPP was the result of years of hard work by experts, including within the planning department, to make NSW more sustainable and climate resilient, and now we’re back to square one,” she said." ... See more