Planning panels do not bode well

THE BIG Brother mentality is alive and well in the NSW State Government.

THE BIG Brother mentality is alive and well in the NSW State Government.

Wanting more control over local councils the State Government is creating six joint regional planning panels across NSW to assess developments valued at more than $10 million.

With only two members on a panel of five coming from local councils this will mean there will be little input on big developments by the people we have elected to shape the future of our region.

Local councils must be seething with the disempowerment blues right now.

The code of conduct for these panels seems to imply that if a member accepts a ‘political donation’ of $1000 or more from a developer it will be left up to the member to decide whether they can sit on a panel.

‘Are they mad?’ I hear you ask.

This is basically giving developers open slather to lobby for their developments.

They might as well throw the keys to the city to developers to do what they want.

There is also a code which says members cannot bring the panel into disrepute and only the chairperson of the panel can speak to media or the public. Yet only a State Government member can be the chairperson. Local council members cannot occupy that role.

Also, members cannot meet proponents or objectors unless other members of the panel or council staff are present. In other words, council members are gagged from talking to anyone outside the panel.

This does not bode well for coastal councils wishing to control rampant development in their regions.

Originally published as Planning panels do not bode well