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Alarm at S94 plan
Thursday 1 May, 2008 12:01am
THE Pelican-Blacksmiths Progress Association has jumped on the bandwagon to protest proposed changes by Planning Minister Frank Sartor.
Spokesman Chris Osborne said there were three sections of the planning reform bill that were "of great concern to the association".
"The proposal in the draft legislation is that Section 94 developer contributions be capped at $25,000," Mr Osborne said. "This would mean that local councils would need to find up to $4 million, on average, to make up for the loss of this investment in community infrastructure such as the lakeside walk opposite the Paris Apartments near Swansea bridge."
Mr Osborne said of even more concern was a proposal to allow for independent panels to be set up where a dispute arose about a proposed development greater than $5 million.
"This panel would not only have an advisory capacity, but would also act as the ultimate consent authority," he said. "These independent panels, which would be appointed by the minister, would take away the consent authority from the communities' elected representatives on councils, undermining democratic process, leaving them wide open to potential corruption."
Mr Osborne said a proposal for generic building codes would mean the same houses built at Balmain could be built at Blacksmiths.
