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MINISTER KENEALLY AGREES TO A MEETING.
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The minister for planning has agreed to meet a delegation of ours on
November the 11th! So already we have made a difference. The former
planning Minister Frank Sartor refused to meet with us even after prolonged
requests. We can only hope that this might signify a new era in community
consultation……watch this space.
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| MEDIA… |
CRUSHING BLOW FOR CURRAWONG DEVELOPERS
Today, the Upper House of State Parliament dealt a crushing blow to Eco Villages, the proposed developers of Currawong, the iconic workers’ holiday retreat on Pittwater.
By a vote of 22-16, it passed a motion calling on the Government to immediately place Currawong on the State Heritage list and protect it from residential subdivision.
The motion was moved by the Greens and supported by the Opposition, Christian Democrats and the Shooters Party.
Greens MLC Sylvia Hale questioned why the recommendations of the Heritage Council, National Trust, the Australian Institute of Architects and Pittwater Council that Currawong be granted full heritage listing were ignored.
And she asked why we need a special panel to assess its heritage value, saying it seemed as if it was set up by the previous planning minister, Frank Sartor, specifically to find reasons NOT to heritage list the site.
She pointedly referred to the political donations of Messrs Linz and Litver at the time the deal to sell Currawong was concluded and she described the sale as …. “exactly the sort of deal that has led to this government and the state’s planning system being held in such disrepute”.
The Upper House vote proves that the government does not have the support of the parliament for the sell-off and it puts enormous pressure on Planning Minister, Kristina Keneally, to refuse Messrs Linz and Litver’s development application and save Currawong for the people of NSW.
Friends of Currawong co-convener said: “We have the support of the people of NSW, all relevant conservation bodies and the Upper House of our Parliament.
Allen Linz and Eduard Litver and their Labor Party mates are fast becoming the loneliest people in NSW”.
Inquiries
Niamh Kenny/Friends of Currawong
MEDIA RELEASE
22 October 2008
RAID RALLY A HUGE SUCCESS
Last Sunday, over 2500 people from over 100 community groups
in NSW converged on
They came in buses from Ballina, Mullumbimby, the Southern
Highlands,
They weren’t asking for favours, just their democratic right to have their views heard about huge developments destroying their suburbs, heritage and communities. And they demanded the abolition of Part 3A of the Environment Planning & Assessment Act which confers absolute power on the Minister.
Environmental warrior, Jack Mundey, told the crowd this is the worst government since Askin in the 70s, while Pittwater MP, Rob Stokes, was almost in tears as he talked about his love for his local environment and the need to protect Currawong.
David Neish, the head of the National Trust, addressed the crowd, as did Greens MP, Sylvia Hale, while Opposition Planning spokesman, Brad Hazzard, announced that a Coalition government would abolish 3A.
Friends of Currawong spokesman,
He said: Currawong cannot be sold off. It is an historic, iconic, irreplaceable site. My question to the minister is, why hasn’t Currawong been heritage listed? Why have the recommendations of 90 heritage and environmental experts been ignored? Why are two well-connected and politically generous developers, Allen Linz and Eduard Litver, more important than an entire community?”
He said: “If the minister defies every environmental and heritage expert, every conservation body, the National Trust and Pittwater Council and allows this development to proceed, she’s committing environmental sacrilege. It’s as simple as that.” -ends-
Media Inquiries:
MEDIA RELEASE – 12 OCTOBER 2008
SUNDAY, 19 OCTOBER 2008 We have had a terrific response from journalists and commentators as we
started our major media push. Alex Mitchell wrote a fantastic piece on Crickey.com that spelled out the need for planning
reform. We had a very good story in the Sunday
telegraph. We are doing a story on Today
Tonight.
We have a story coming for the Telegraph and there is also a lot of interest from other major media outlets which will
be supporting us in the days to come. Now is the time to ring your local Radio
stations and newspapers and let them know that local groups are a part of RAID.
Now that we are getting coverage your local media outlets will want to
hear from you….and we can use this to get other groups to join us.
The Daily Telegraph, Edition 1 - State THE fight to save the unique Currawong workers' retreat on Pittwater has become the catalyst for a state-wide challenge to the State Government's controversial planning laws. Disgruntled residents across NSW, including Catherine Hill Bay, near Newcastle, and Sandon Point, in Wollongong, have joined with Friends of Currawong to form an east coast alliance to lobby against the laws. Protest group RAID -- Rally Against Inappropriate Development -- have planned a rally in Hyde Park on October 19 with the National Trust and National Parks Association. Changes to the Environmental Planning Act gave the planning minister the power to override state laws such as the Heritage Act for development proposals made under Part 3A of the Act. Former planning minister Frank Sartor used the law to approve 600 new homes at Catherine Hill Bay. Janet Fife-Yeomans |
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Group Support
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We have had a barrage of support letters including The Wilderness Society …The Greens….Warringah Council…The Surf Rider Foundation…The National Parks Assoc’ The National Trust…
and many more. Many of whom will be writing letters to the editor and we
suggest you all do the same.
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