| Save Our Suburbs | Policies | Media Contact (02) 9487 2061 |  |
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| Planning Policies |
Key Ideas - outlines the key concepts underpinning these policies About Us - includes our aims to preserve, prevent and promote. By "saving our suburbs" we mean ensuring that you get:
SOS will work for a completely new approach to planning which will:
This new approach to planning will also ensure meaningful community consultation that fully informs the public and genuinely attempts to resolve issues of concern, and:-
Furthermore, this planning process will:-
Fair and adequate compensation must be offered to people who are adversely affected by major developments. The extent and application of compensation is to be determined by a mutually acceptable independent arbitrator, without cost to those affected. SOS recognises that
continued population growth
concentrated in Sydney, the Central and South coasts places an unacceptable
level of stress on our fragile
coastal environment and on the quality of life of those who live in cities.
Development pressure on water catchments provides just one illustration
of the unintended consequences of unchecked growth. 2. a viable decentralisation policy drawing on international experience particularly that of the European Union. A mix of incentives and infrastructure provision can be used to deal with the time and distance issues raised by decentralisation. These include high speed rail, top class telecommunications and tax incentives. 3. the creation of Satellite Cities. Each to be as autonomous as practical and linked by high-speed transport and communications. The planning for each satellite city would emphasise:
4. Judicious expansion of Sydney. The infrastructure for these greenfields (or near greenfields) sites should be funded by the State and/or Commonwealth. SOS supports legislation to outlaw the practice of developers donating to political parties or to any individual standing for political office. This includes direct and indirect donations (for example through 'auctions', trust funds or politician's 'dinners') and covers local as well as state government. Restructure the Department of Planning and make government bureaucracy open and accountable There must be fundamental reform not just of planning policies but also of the department which implements them, and regulatory authorities that advise and monitor developments and infrastructure projects. Unless this occurs any changes will be 'paper' changes which do nothing to reverse the declining quality of life caused by poor planning and regulation. Urban planning should be based on an assessment of existing physical and social infrastructure. It should also be based on the best available health and environmental standards. This is not done by the Department of Planning, and advice given by the Health Department and the EPA is often not sought or ignored. At the present time there is an inappropriate relationship between bureaucrats at all levels in the Department of Planning and developers. The culture of the department and its approach to urban planning has resulted in bad planning, poor environmental outcomes, the loss of scarce green space and a 'bill' yet to be calculated due to the breakdown of overloaded infrastructure. End forced urban consolidation- allow sensible land release, with infrastructure funded by the government. No increased densities should occur unless proper studies of the capacity of the existing infrastructure have been done. Significant increases in density should only occur where they can be accommodated by the existing infrastructure. This includes the road system, water, public transport and public facilities such as libraries, hospitals, schools, police, nursing homes, parks, sportsfields and open space. Poorly planned development creates far more problems than it solves. Government Departments and Authorities should be required to reveal full and timely advice, information and reports that affect the public or a local community We will stop abuses of the Freedom of Information Act that prevent access to information. Government Departments and Authorities should not be allowed to conceal, alter, or in any way doctor advice or information received from Consultants or gathered by departmental officers. We will ensure the independence and quality of Consultants appointed to assess projects. We will strengthen the watchdog Departments such as the Department of Planning, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), NSW Health and the Auditor General’s Department so that they are required to assess the wider environmental, health, social economic impacts of projects and can compel compliance from Departments and Authorities. These watchdog departments should be provided with the necessary powers and responsibility to invoke sanctions where standards of conduct or, in the case of infrastructure projects, conditions of approval are not met. Where infrastructure requires upgrading developers should be required to contribute a reasonable amount to the additional cost. This cost should be based on proper studies of existing capacity of physical/social infrastructure and the amount necessary to upgrade. The existing legislative provisions (s 94 plans) are in urgent need of review. Representative Local Government SOS recognises that
developer influence and party politics have produced pro-development
and, at times, corrupt local
councils. Financial mismanagement, allocation of resources to special
interest groups, neglect of basic infrastructure (roads, drainage, sportsfields),
'ward-heeling', planning failure and arbitrary decision-making are also
matters in urgent need of attention. In many areas across Sydney there is a significant shortage of green space. This shortage is particularly acute in intensely developed areas such as the eastern and western suburbs. As Sydney's population has grown so has the need for open green space for pocket, local and regional parks. Yet the state government is constantly ensuring the conversion of existing green space to medium and high density housing. As population increases, however, the need for parks and green spaces increases, not diminishes. The responsibility for identifying open space needs and acquiring land has effectively been left to underfunded local councils. SOS will work to ensure that existing green space is protected and that a programme is put into place to ensure that government-owned and built-upon land is retained or private property is purchased for green space in those areas which are, or will become, equivalently desirable and deficient in green space. Where private property is purchased compulsory acquisition should be a last resort, with just compensation for loss of land, income and amenity and for change of land use. A pro-active metropolitan open space strategy would; 1. identify areas
where there is a deficiency of open green space, identify all public land
and place the details on a register and ensure that any 'surplus' government
property is converted to
open space and appropriately rezoned. 2. Where there is sufficient open space in a particular area and government property is genuinely surplus to requirements asset sales should be permitted. To remove the incentive to use asset sales as a way of funding on-going government programmes, however, all the proceeds of such sales should be committed to a fund which would allow the purchase of private property for green space in areas which are deficient. Water supply infrastructure for New South Wales metropolitan areas has been disgracefully neglected. Proposals put forward for rectifying this problem by New South Wales political parties are emotionally based and ridiculously biased and unrealistic. Unrealistic suggestions as systems on which Sydney's water supply should be largely based include storm water harvesting, aquifer harvesting, desalination and reduction in consumption. All of these could be a small part of the final solution but would have very limited applicability. A proper objective study of all options should be undertaken as a matter of great urgency. Precautions must be put into place to ensure such a study is free from the political interference and the preconceived ideas that bedevil current proposals. For example, situations close to Sydney in a high rainfall area with many deep ravines and at altitude that should be investigated as possibilities for additional storage. Such a solution could well be much cheaper in terms of capital and running costs and require much less energy. The costs (including environmental costs) and benefits for all practical options should be objectively considered. Place Electricity Lines underground Energy Australia currently provides a small sum to local councils to subsidise the undergrounding of power lines. SOS will work to ensure that this figure is increased. The community currently provides Energy Australia with a massive hidden subsidy. When overhead power lines are brought down in storms, for example, the work of the police and the SES is paid for through local rates and taxes. SOS will work to ensure that Energy Australia is held directly responsible for these hidden costs. A long-term plan for the undergrounding of cables is necessary. Fix Street-tree Trimming problem SOS will push for a parliamentary inquiry into the mutilation of street trees. This will encompass Energy Australia's management of sub-contractors, the extent of slashing, the lack of effective remedies for over-pruning and the role of councils in the process. Reduce Aircraft noise and pollution Sydney suffers from unnecessary aircraft noise and pollution that would not be tolerated in other countries where this would lead to hefty fines. Save Our Suburbs will press that Airservices Australia change their procedures so that aircraft approaching Sydney airport can adopt "power off" approaches. This will minimise the amount of time that approaching aircraft traverse the city under high power when they produce unnecessary noise and atmospheric pollution and waste fuel. No additional poker machines should be permitted and a government enquiry should be instituted to determine a program of phased reduction. Road tunnels are fast becoming a Sydney way of motoring. In theory, they lead to free flowing underground traffic and less congested roads, but they don’t solve our public transport or our motor vehicle pollution problems, which are as harmful as passive smoking, leading to asthma in the short term and lung cancer, chronic heart disease and emphysema over time. Over 1000 people die from vehicle-related pollution in Sydney every year, many more than from road crashes. Unfiltered ventilation stacks have been built for the M5 East and Eastern Distributor and are planned, for the Cross-City, Lane Cove, Drummoyne, and Spit Bridge/Manly tunnels, in spite of vigorous opposition from community and environmental groups to the flawed planning processes and regulations which have allowed them to be built. These stacks pose serious health risks and have economic implications for all residents, businesses, workers and taxpayers in NSW. Their impacts can be equivalent to that of a major polluting industry and must be recognised and treated as such with strict quantitative emission limits regulated under licence. We must make sure road tunnel fumes are filtered, or otherwise treated, to protect the health of motorists and people who live and work around their outlets. Minimise Harmful Environmental and Health Effects of Infrastructure projects Housing and infrastructure projects such as unfiltered road tunnels have been allowed to be built despite community opposition and serious risks being identified by technical and environmental experts. SOS will ensure that:
Ensure Meaningful Community Consultation Community consultation is often a frustrating, tokenistic exercise where the community is told what will happen, rather than genuinely involved in the decision-making process. Well-founded criticism and opposition is often ignored, managed by professional spin-doctors or at best "noted" without making any difference to the final outcome. SOS will work to ensure that community consultation is a genuine partnership with the local community to refine and improve a project concept through:
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