Save Our
Sydney Suburbs (NSW) Inc.
News
Releases June 2003
Overdevelopment in Summerhill
A longstanding overdevelopment
proposal being fought against by Summerhill residents is coming to a head. This
is for a supermarket complex at Hardie Street/Smith Street in Summerhill comprising
of a supermarket, retail shops and 36 units. This area is already too dense
and congested. The development exceeds Ashfield Council's specifications regarding
floorspace and heritage will be severely compromised.
Why, one may ask, are units incorporated in an application for a supermarket?
One presumes for the same reason as units were incorporated in the notorious
Oasis development in Liverpool. The State Government creates an artificial shortage
of land by not releasing new sites to house the 1,000 people coming into Sydney
every week. This enables developers to make huge profits from units - often
giving an annual return of over 100%. And these developers give huge donations
to the political parties. Save
Our Suburbs policies provide alternative development strategies that do
not destroy our environment.
You can voice your opposition to this overdevelopment by requesting the Minister
of Planning to approve Ashfield Council's Local Environment Plan 100. See below
for the address and where you can get further details.
A sad loss at St Marys
For ten years the ADI Residents
Action Group has been fighting hard to save the former ADI Site at St Marys
from the bulldozers. This is beautiful Cumberland Plain woodlands - green space
within our city on which kangaroos and emus roam. Unfortunately the State Government
has recently announced that 1900 homes are to be built on part of the site which
will destroy its integrity. However the ADI action group is not giving up and
they need funds to continue.
Rather than simply asking for a donation they give something tangible in return
- an item symbolic of what we will loose and what we’re fighting for.
Sonia Bennett, who participated in the recent State Election campaign, has painted
a lovely little posy of the flowers of Cumberland Plain Woodland.
You can find out what the various flowers depicted in the card are if you go to http://www.savetheadisite.bmt.com.au/card_key.html on the Internet.
This painting has been turned into a top quality greeting card, which can be used for any occasion. Copies of these cards can be obtained by donating $6 or more, and member Bernie Lachlan will send you a pack of 5 cards, with envelopes. If you would like to donate more, you can ask Bernie to send you an extra pack for every multiple of $5, from $10 upwards. Postage is $1.50 for any quantity. Bernie has arranged a credit card facility and is happy to receive donations, whether by credit card or other means. Just phone him on 02 9623 1317, and he can arrange everything on the spot.
Planning NSW
With the NSW cabinet reshuffle after the March election, our old anatagonists in planning, Dr Refshauge (Minister) and Sue Holliday (Director-General) were moved from their positions. The current top positions now are:
Minister: The Hon. Craig
Knowles MP
Minister Assisting The Minister: The Hon. Diane Beamer MP
Director-General: Jennifer Westacott
Deputy Director-General: Andrew Cappie-Wood
Metropolitan Planning: Gary Prattley
Sydney Strategy: Evan Jones
Policy: Bruce Taper
Urban Design Advisory Service: Gabrielle Morrish
Living Centres & UIP: Ingo Kumric
Community Infrastructure: Myra Craig
We can but hope for the sake of our city that this will be a change for the
better.
Tony Recsei
President
Save Our Suburbs (SOS)
On the Summerhill overdevelopment
matter mentioned above, the addresses to write to regarding the Ashfield Council
LEP 100 (asking the Minister to approve this plan) are:
Minister C Knowles MP
Minister for Infrastructure and Planning
Level 33, Governor Macquarie Tower
1 Farrer Place, Sydney NSW 2000
Fax 9228 3718
Email: tory.rands@knowles.minister.nsw.gov.au
Also to Hon. Bob Carr
Level 40 Governor Macquarie Tower
1 Farrer Place, Sydney NSW 2000
Fax 9228 3935
Email: bob.carr@www.nsw.gov.au
More information can be obtained from the
Save Summer Hill Group
Alan Melrose
Neil Poulsen
Greig Sheridan
Alister Simington
02 8255 2660