RAID News

MINISTER KENEALLY AGREES TO A MEETING.

The minister for planning has agreed to meet a delegation of ours on November the 11^th! 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.

MEDIA RELEASE – 12 OCTOBER 2008

 RALLY AGAINST NSW PLANNING LAWS

SUNDAY, 19 OCTOBER 2008

Anger at the State Government’s planning laws will be reflected not only in the Ryde by-election next Saturday, but in Hyde Park on Sunday, 19 October, when over 1000 people are expected to rally to protest the lack of transparency in our planning laws.

 Shane Withington, the leader of the Friends of Currawong, which is hosting the rally, says he’s now responded to over 2000 emails and almost 30 community groups have committed to attending.

 “We’ve got Sydney groups fighting massive inappropriate developments in their suburbs, rural groups fighting mining which is poisoning local rivers, another group fighting a mining company which wants to take over the entire village, another is fighting the construction of an unnecessary dam,  while others are fighting for heritage values and to save bushland and wildlife.

 “And in the case of Currawong, the developers, Mr. Allen Linz and Mr. Edouard Litvers have now announced they will deal with coastal erosion by bringing in tonnes of infill by barge and dumping it on a pristine beach in a national park.”

 Support for the rally has also come from the National Trust, the Wilderness Society, the Greens, the National Parks Association, Jack Mundey, Pittwater MP Rob Stokes, Clover Moore, the Australian Institute of Architects and invitations to attend have been sent to 75 councils across the Stat

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
TUE 07 OCT 2008, Page 009
Planning a protest on new rule

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.
``It is a planning policy that is deeply hated in the community,'' Friends of Currawong spokesman Shane Withington said yesterday.

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
Chief Reporter
The Daily Telegraph
News Limited
2 Holt Street
Surry Hills NSW 2010
Tel: (61) 2 9288 3288
fife-yeomansj@newsltd.com.au

Group Support

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.