New Planning Reform

NSW residents are being forced out of their local planning process, with the Joint Regional Planning Panels set to begin determining a wide range of development applications within a month.

The Panels will marginalise councils and communities even further in a process where local input is paramount, and where plan makers must be directly accountable to the community.

Planning Brad Hazzard claims to be building the best planning system in Australia and that claim is highly debatable.

The State Government seems keen to seize control of development decisions with very little consideration of council or community views, there is something quite Orwellian about this entire process. The Panels are an unnecessary duplication of bureaucracy and will not, as claimed, de-politicise the process.

The Panels are taking a role that is currently handled, generally very well, by NSW councils, they are introducing another layer of bureaucracy and NSW residents will have to foot the bill. The Minister assumes his appointed members will be less susceptible to outside pressures than councillors, but in reality the only difference is that they won't be accountable to the local community. In fact, it seems the only person they will be politically accountable to is the Minister."

The Minister has the power to remove all of a council's planning powers at any time without referring to Parliament. These Panels now have a framework for dictating strategic planning in our local communities.

The information contained within this newsletter are my own personal viewpoints and perspectives - it is in no way the official view of Hunters Hill Council. There are seven Councillors on Hunters Hill Council and as we are all respectful and thoughtful people however, we don't always agree.

Failure of the Gladesville Village Master Plan

Gladesville shopping centre sits on a large knoll, and is surrounded by captivating views with simple, easy access. The communities of Woolwich, some of Ryde areas, Gladesville, all of Hunters Hill areas, have been starved of a proper, efficient shopping centre services and Gladesville shopping centre should be the heart of our area and provide all users with armchair like shopping, business services, competition and value. With all the opportunities available, sadly the Gladesville Master plan does not reflect any ability to transform this shopping centre into anything but what is there at present.

*NORTH WEST RAIL LINK *

Although the North Western rail link has been put on hold by this State Government, there is nothing to say the rail link will never happen.

This rail link was dumped by the present State Government however there is an election looming and with pressure applied against the two major parties for the seat of Ryde it could be back on the agenda.

Coulter St car park and the RSL Club

Ryde City Council’s proposal to put eight storeys hard up against the Gladesville RSL Club, Linsley St frontage, is a big call and is an unacceptable, badly instigated idea with greed and poor insight, for forward planning.

The area at the Coulter St Ryde City Council car park was the allocated location for the Gladesville railway station which could have a link to a proposed future Gladesville bus terminal cutaway in the Coulter St car park.

This would provide public transport (buses, trains and taxis) for the shopping centre via a short underground walkway to the mall entry starting under the western side of Victoria Rd.

The north western railway link and bus terminal is the key challenge to generate public transport access to the Gladesville shopping complex and provide access for all visitors from far and wide.

Councils should meet over Gladesville plan

I WAS shocked to read the article ‘Councils in dispute over the Gladesville upgrade’ in TWT last week and it has prompted me to write the following.

Hunters Hill councillors have not been shown anything that Ryde City Council has proposed for any of the street furniture treatment of Gladesville shopping centre.

However, Hunters Hill councillors have seen and reviewed the Hunters Hill policy regarding outside street furniture.

The suggestion by Clr Bill Pickering, to arrange a meeting between parties ASAP, is the common sense approach and should not be denied by Hunters Hill Council or Ryde City Council providing, committee councillors were in attendance.

The attitude of some of Ryde councillors towards Hunters Hill is quite alarming and words were spoken, possibly in haste, from fabricated information with very little substance, insight and knowledge of what Gladesville or Hunters Hill is all about, or being aware of the existence of a flawed Development Control Plan.

For example comments by Clr Nicole Campbell referring to Hunters Hill as “cheap and nasty”, “high residential rates”, “can’t afford it”, “promises to businesses” etc. (and I could go on) are quite absurd, unjustified, unfounded, and lack substance or proof.
It is common knowledge (other than media talk) that Ryde rates are much higher than Hunters Hill in regard to real estate value of property, both residential and indeed commercial.

For example, a Ryde two-bed unit worth $409,000 will cost $760 pa in council rates and a similar Hunters Hill unit worth $438,000 will cost $712 pa.

The information contained wthin are my personal views and perspectives - it is in no way the official view of Hunters Hill Council as there are seven elected Councillors and as we are all willing and thoughtful people, we do not always agree with each other on relivant issues.

Councillor Peter Astridge