31 October 2013
One of the major benefits of the proposed NSW Planning Bill is to lift community support for development through a greater role in strategic planning says the Urban Taskforce.
“There has been much debate around the current Planning Bill about the role of communities in relation to planning but the key issue is to get communities to be committed to the way our cities grow and change.” says Urban Taskforce CEO Chris Johnson. “It is understandable that many in the community feel uncomfortable about moves towards more apartment living with development around town centres that change the status quo.”
“Planning is all about changes to the status quo to find new ways to sustainably house our growing population. Currently we are under performing in terms of housing supply with Sydney requiring at least an extra 10,000 housing units a year.”
“We must move on from site by site battles about new development and get communities contributing to the big governance issues that planning for future population growth requires. This will mean new skills from planners, a new attitude from community groups and developers, as well as strong leadership from politicians.”
Robert Furolo, the Member for Lakemba, in speaking to the Planning Bill reinforced the need for political leadership when he said. “It is easy to jump on the bandwagon of those who object to development, to whip up hysteria and to pander to those who prey on ignorance and misinformation, but that is not leadership.”
“The current Bill before the NSW Parliament has a good balance between community participation and the need to support well designed new development in the right locations. Local Government NSW, representing councils, seems reasonably happy with the latest version of the Bill and it is councils who are best to represent local communities.”
“The Urban Taskforce encourages all politicians involved in the current discussions to support the Bill while ensuring that the ongoing package of planning reforms focuses on information programs for communities about growth options that understand the reality of population increases and of changing attitudes to housing preferences.
“It would be a folly for the opposition to oppose the Bill just for the sake of it. What NSW needs now is confidence in its planning system so that housing supply can begin to match the needs of the community.”
