Green Infrastructure

Our Mayor tells me he enjoyed the opportunity to go to Canberra last week - especially since he came home with a promise of some $285K to spend on infrastructure projects before September next year. He and other NSW Mayors must have found it refreshing to be treated respectfully after the contemptuous way in which our state government and its Ministers deal with local government! We must prepare a submission in order to secure the funds and our GM will be working on it right now. An additional $50M is being made available - on a competitive basis - and in this regard, I'll be asking Willoughby and northside Councils to advocate for an iconic piece of Green Infrastructure HarbourLink Have a look and see what you think:


If you like the idea, please send an email to :
1. Your local Council
2. Anthony Albanese, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government and Federal member for Grayndler, A.Albanese.MP@aph.gov.au
3. cc info@sydneyharbourlink.com
As soon as you can, thanks!

NSW Planning Legislation

Kristina Keneally now presides over Sartor's empire. Despite her reportedly being both a sensible and a sensitive person, it seems she is in no position to reverse the excesses of her predecessor or indeed what may be the best chance she and the bunch of bullies infesting Macquarie Street's front bench have of being returned. To create a housing bubble, barriers must be removed from the planning process. Chief amongst the barriers are local elected reps and the opportunities they have created for neighbours to be informed about (and yes - even comment upon!) development proposals next door.
I have just returned from a briefing provided by our Environmental Services Director. He presented some interesting facts for example, Willoughby currently determines more DAs of greater total dollar value faster than either North Sydney or Lane Cove Councils. Anyway, leaving aside the lucrative $10M+ developments which the Mnister and her appointees are to deal with, the so called planning reforms are aimed at moving local development along such that 50% of all applications can be dealt with under "complying development codes" (CDCs) and the rest by Planning Arbitrators should the applicant feel the Council is being too slow. The current plan is to have one Complying Development Code for single storey & one for two storey developments. The latter code has not yet seen the light of day and will not be availalable for public comment before being introduced early next year - March I think..