Save Our
Sydney Suburbs (NSW) Inc.
News
Release September 2003
Developer Donations
Hi SOS Members
1. Some of our members may remember that the scandal of developer donations
to political parties was first widely publicised when I was given the opportunity
to appear on Quentin Dempster's ABC TV Stateline program on 30 March 2001. This
subject has taken on a life of its own. Lee Rhiannon, MLC and head of the Greens
in NSW is to introduce a Private Member's Bill to ban developer donations to
political parties and candidates. This will finally come on for debate in coming
weeks. Lee says this Bill would break the nexus between developers and politicians
in NSW - the greatest impediment to sustainable, community-friendly development.
The reaction by the major parties will be interesting to watch.
2. We have received this
letter regarding our website. It is heartening to receive these words of appreciation
and saddening to hear that the overdevelopment problems we face are so widespread:
Hello -
I live in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. I was online looking for information
on how to fight the rezoning request by a local developer trying to add 250
houses at the end of the dead-end road on which we live. Your website had more
quality information than any other I could find. Although we may be worlds apart,
the issues we face as residents are exactly the same and I want to thank you
for your website with all it's content and information. I feel much more prepared
to go to our township meeting and fight the developers, thanks to you and your
organization. I just wanted to let you know that.
Thank you very much.
Sharon Pivirotto
3. Our indefatigable fighter
Hugh Knox has had this letter published in the North Shore Times:
North Shore Times (Fri)
Edition 1 - FRI 19 SEP 2003, Page 014
Premier is on the nose
YOUR leading article of September 12 quotes a federal backbencher as saying of Premier Bob Carr that he has a nose for what the people want.
It would be far truer to say that Mr Carr has a nose for what the people want to hear.
Not so long ago Mr Carr asserted that Sydney is bursting at the seams and deplored the prospect of wall-to-wall apartments from the ocean to the mountains.
If Mr Carr had been sincere, he would have put his leadership where his mouth is and abandoned his overcrowding policy by repealing the iniquitous SEPPs 5 and 53.
However, contrary to Mr Carr's pious hopes, overcrowding keeps marching on, turning Sydney into an expensive slum and making developers rich.
So Mr Carr is just another politician hungry for more power.
Hugh Knox
Gordon
4. And I had the following
printed::
Gerald Donovan, your letter ("Council action needed",
NST 5 Sept) asks Willoughby Council to call a halt to the endless proliferation
of units in Artarmon. Unfortunately Willoughby Council finds itself dancing
to the tune of PlanningNSW. In spite agreeing to a huge amount of high-rise
in Chatswood, the blight of high-density continues to proliferate.
Councils all over Sydney are discovering the futility of caving in to the demands
of government bureaucrats. The more you concede, the more they exact.
Well may you say "Willoughby Council, do something to save this wonderful suburb". Nothing will save your suburb until the people of Sydney rise up against government high-density bullies.
Tony Recsei
President
Save Our Suburbs (SOS)