NEEDS LINK TO PREVIOUS BLOG It’s a funny thing about many politicians. They are often keen to speak out when they are in opposition. This usually involves standing up for ordinary people, being appalled by big bad developers or crying out against the inflated profits of the big banks. But when eventually they get into government, suddenly, as if a light has gone off in their head, they see everything differently. In NSW one of the prime examples of this is the current Planning Minister Brad Hazzard. In 1997 Mr Hazzard, had strong opinions on planning reform and he was not afraid to tell people. Speaking on a Bill to amend the planning laws in the NSW Parliament he really worked himself up. First, he highlighted the importance of the planning system in NSW saying: “The single biggest challenge for New South Wales is to get the planning right, such that our environment is protected”. Just stopping there, this is something he and I see eye to eye on. At least we did 16 years ago. But now Planning Minister Hazzard has changed his tune and is championing a set of planning laws that remove ecologically sustainable development – one of the core ways of protecting the environment – as a consideration for planning decisions. Mr Hazzard went on to say “What is the point in having jobs and development if people do not have clean air to breathe and clean water to drink or to use in myriad other ways?” and yet his current proposal prioritises development and the market above all other considerations. In opposition it was all about clean air and water. As Minister though Mr Hazzard is pushing new planning laws that openly champion construction, development and economic activity at the direct expense of the environment – which the Minister should know includes our air and water. Eighteen years ago Mr Hazzard highlighted the importance of community consultation, saying that “There has to be more that satisfies local residents that they will have an ongoing say such that they can approve or not approve of a particular development on their very boundary”. Again I heartily agree. So why is it that as Planning Minister Mr Hazzard is proposing to entirely shut out the community from having any consultation at all on 80% of all development applications? This includes having no say on an entire new house next door, rows of up to 20 townhouses in your street or the demolition of your local shopping centre and its replacement with towers of units. But he did not stop there. He had a spirited attack on private certifiers. These are experts selected and paid for by the developer that have been used to sign off on the quality of construction work in NSW, despite a clear conflict of interest and no real independence. In opposition Mr Hazzard said they would be simply “ticking off the boxes”. How right he was. But now he is Minister rather than abolish private certifiers and remove the conflict of interest they place at the heart of the Planning System, he is expanding their role. If his Planning Bill becomes law, private certifiers will be approving new houses, unit blocks and industrial developments around the State. Mr Hazzard from 1997 was also critical of the then Government’s poor community consultation saying “I was extremely disappointed that the Minister did not take into account community concern and environmental concern”. Move forward 16 years and we have Minister Hazzard largely dismissing more than 4,500 submissions his department received as part of the review of planning that called for vastly more protection for the community and environment in our planning laws. To borrow a line from Mr Hazzard in opposition: “I am extremely disappointed to say that the Minister did not take these submissions into account”. Planning Minister Brad Hazzard should know better. He watched NSW Labor debase their party and their name by deal after ugly deal with developers. He was the beneficiary of community anger at Labor’s notorious Part 3A and he got elected in 2011 on a promise to do better and return planning powers to local communities. But all of this seems to have been forgotten as he ploughs on with a seriously misconceived set of planning reforms that will sideline the community and actually give more, not less, power to developers. In 1997 now Minister Hazzard advised the then Minister that he should “hang his head in shame. He should have been embarrassed to introduce this legislation into this House”. Before Minister Hazzard presents his new planning Bill to Parliament later this month, perhaps he might consider heeding his own advice. David Shoebridge is a NSW Greens MP. BLOG: Time to fix child abuse punishment
It’s a funny thing about many politicians. They are often keen to speak out when they are in opposition. This usually involves standing up for ordinary people, being appalled by big bad developers or crying out against the inflated profits of the big banks. But when eventually they get into government, suddenly, as if a light has gone off in their head, they see everything differently. In NSW one of the prime examples of this is the current Planning Minister Brad Hazzard.
In 1997 Mr Hazzard, had strong opinions on planning reform and he was not afraid to tell people. Speaking on a Bill to amend the planning laws in the NSW Parliament he really worked himself up.
First, he highlighted the importance of the planning system in NSW saying: “The single biggest challenge for New South Wales is to get the planning right, such that our environment is protected”.
Just stopping there, this is something he and I see eye to eye on. At least we did 16 years ago.
But now Planning Minister Hazzard has changed his tune and is championing a set of planning laws that remove ecologically sustainable development – one of the core ways of protecting the environment – as a consideration for planning decisions.
Mr Hazzard went on to say “What is the point in having jobs and development if people do not have clean air to breathe and clean water to drink or to use in myriad other ways?” and yet his current proposal prioritises development and the market above all other considerations.
In opposition it was all about clean air and water. As Minister though Mr Hazzard is pushing new planning laws that openly champion construction, development and economic activity at the direct expense of the environment – which the Minister should know includes our air and water.
Eighteen years ago Mr Hazzard highlighted the importance of community consultation, saying that “There has to be more that satisfies local residents that they will have an ongoing say such that they can approve or not approve of a particular development on their very boundary”.
Again I heartily agree. So why is it that as Planning Minister Mr Hazzard is proposing to entirely shut out the community from having any consultation at all on 80% of all development applications? This includes having no say on an entire new house next door, rows of up to 20 townhouses in your street or the demolition of your local shopping centre and its replacement with towers of units.
But he did not stop there. He had a spirited attack on private certifiers. These are experts selected and paid for by the developer that have been used to sign off on the quality of construction work in NSW, despite a clear conflict of interest and no real independence.
In opposition Mr Hazzard said they would be simply “ticking off the boxes”. How right he was. But now he is Minister rather than abolish private certifiers and remove the conflict of interest they place at the heart of the Planning System, he is expanding their role.
If his Planning Bill becomes law, private certifiers will be approving new houses, unit blocks and industrial developments around the State.
Mr Hazzard from 1997 was also critical of the then Government’s poor community consultation saying “I was extremely disappointed that the Minister did not take into account community concern and environmental concern”.
Move forward 16 years and we have Minister Hazzard largely dismissing more than 4,500 submissions his department received as part of the review of planning that called for vastly more protection for the community and environment in our planning laws.
To borrow a line from Mr Hazzard in opposition: “I am extremely disappointed to say that the Minister did not take these submissions into account”.
Planning Minister Brad Hazzard should know better. He watched NSW Labor debase their party and their name by deal after ugly deal with developers.
He was the beneficiary of community anger at Labor’s notorious Part 3A and he got elected in 2011 on a promise to do better and return planning powers to local communities.
But all of this seems to have been forgotten as he ploughs on with a seriously misconceived set of planning reforms that will sideline the community and actually give more, not less, power to developers.
In 1997 now Minister Hazzard advised the then Minister that he should “hang his head in shame. He should have been embarrassed to introduce this legislation into this House”.
Before Minister Hazzard presents his new planning Bill to Parliament later this month, perhaps he might consider heeding his own advice.
