27 September 2010
The NSW Government last week announced the detail of its plans to establish the Sydney Metropolitan Development Authority. In essence the Authority will be a re-branded version of the Redfern Waterloo Authority, retaining respsibility for Redfern, and picking up (within the next 12 months) responsibility for Granville and Auto Alley. In theory, other areas may added down the track.
The government says the role of the Authority will include:
- working with transport and planning departments to identify precincts for renewal;
- undertaking land use planning investigations and feasibility analyses;
- delivering an overarching precinct plan;
- coordinating transport and infrastructure planning;
- planning for open space in identified precincts;
- levying infrastructure contributions and entering into planning agreements; and
- partnering with public agencies and private entities when necessary.
The Authority will operate under existing growth centres legislation, which includes compulsory acquisition powers.
The Acting CEO of the Authority will be the CEO of the Redfern Waterloo Authority, Mr Roy Wakelin-King. The SMDA Board comprises:
- Chair – Dr Col Gellatly (chair of Redfern Waterloo Authority);
- Lucy Turnbull – former Lord Mayor of Sydney, and Deputy Chair of the Commonwealth Expert Panel for the review of capital city strategic planning systems;
- Shane Phillips – a prominent community leader representing Aboriginal interests;
- the directors-general (or their nominees) of Planning, Transport NSW, the Department of Premier and Cabinet and NSW Treasury; and
- a nominee of the Federal Minister of Infrastructure and Transport.
More detail is available from the Planning Minister Tony Kelly’s media release here and a transcript of the comments he made in Parliament here.
The creation of the Sydney Metropolitan Development Authority was flagged as a key component of the “implementation” part of the Metropolitan Transport Plan and Sydney Towards 2036 paper released by the NSW government earlier this year. It is difficult to see how the Authority, with only a modest geographic area of responsibility, will make enough difference to re-build confidence in government planning strategies.
Similarly, we’re concerned that the Authority won’t be taking over the approval powers of the Department of Planning, local councils or state government agencies such as the Roads and Traffic Authority, RailCorp or the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water. That is, there will be an extra layer of government to deal with in the Authority’s areas, and no apparent reduction in the involvement of other government agencies.
The Urban Taskforce’s media release on the Authority is here.
