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Save Our Sydney Suburbs (NSW) Inc.
News Release October 2004

When Prospects look Bleak

Hi SOS Members

Earlier this week I was commenting to an acquaintance that prospects for our cause are starting to look extremely bleak. The evidence is growing that we are facing a craze of international dimensions. The NSW State Government is starting to backtrack and return to its high density policies. In other states and countries:

• Save Our Suburbs in Victoria has suspended all cooperation with the Victorian State Government as the planning crisis there deepens;
• Save Our Suburbs Canberra put in a magnificent effort before the ACT election to put pressure on the new administration. They have got nowhere - high density is to be inflicted onto 30% of each suburb;
• In the USA more and more states are starting high-density projects in spite of plentiful evidence of the harmful nature of high density in respect of all sorts of factors such as air pollution, congestion, greenhouse gas emissions and noise.

Are we going to give up? No! In the last 24 hours two lights have appeared in the tunnel.

• The NSW Auditor-General has reported something that we have been predicting for years. He says there is not enough provision by public enterprises supplying electricity and water to replace and upgrade assets. The State Planning Department (now "DIPNR") told me in 1999 that Urban Consolidation saves on infrastructure costs - cramming more people into existing areas means new electricity, water, sewerage, stormwater and road infrastructure does not have to be built. I countered by maintaining that all they are doing is overloading existing infrastructure. Now we are seeing the result. Power failures, water shortages, overflowing sewers and congested roads. The degradation of our quality of life.

• A strong public reaction is emerging against the new zoning proposals we told you about in our last news-email (23 October) which will allow multiunits in areas zoned for single residential. On Radio 2GB Alan Jones this morning discussed the proposal. He quoted Minister Dianne Beamer as saying "I have no problem with villas, townhouses and single lot dwellings all being included in one zoning". Alan maintained Minister Beamer is completely discredited, quoting such fiascos as the Orange Grove affair. I phoned in (about 6.20 this morning) and decried this assault on the democratic right of communities (through their councils) to determine the character of neighbourhoods. Alan asked "where does she get this from?" I said the move is part of an agenda pushed by her department (DIPNR). He responded "she is too weak to oppose this" and maintained that the public will not take this any more and will rise up against such impositions.

Yesterday SOS member Jean Posen tells me she heard John Laws interviewing Diane Beamer. Jean then went on the air and John Laws gave her a good hearing. Jean is right up there knowing her facts about SEPP 5 etc.

We need to keep the momentum going. No one is going to fix the looming menace that will destroy our Australian way of life unless we get up and do something ourselves. That is lots of us - not just isolated voices.

Please take an interest.

• Phone in to the radio stations such as:
  
  2GB 873 (Alan Jones): phone 131 873
  2UE 954 (Mike Carlton and John Laws): phone 3131 332
  ABC 702 (Angela Catterns): phone 8333 1000

• Write to your daily and weekly newspapers and magazines

We need more good news stories. Please let us know if you have success.

Tony Recsei
President
Save Our Suburbs (SOS)

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