30 June 2010
The NSW Government says it will ensure agricultural areas on the edge of Sydney will be “protected” in its metropolitan strategy. Planning Minister Tony Kelly says it also has to look into developing “greenfield sites” without destroying existing agricultural industries.
“We’re working currently with the Department of Primary Industry to investigate that,” he said.
“There are a lot of areas, particularly the market gardens, that are in a lot of flood zones. It’s appropriate they be preserved.”
The report carrying Mr Kelly’s comments is here.
Meanwhile, the Shadow Planning Minister, Brad Hazzard, says that “under the Labor policy developers can bulldoze high value biodiversity areas which happen to sit within the boundary line of growth centres and in exchange save land somewhere else”.
“That doesn’t stand up to comprehensive environmental scrutiny,” Mr Hazzard said.
“Species in the land being bulldozed won’t survive because an island of land somewhere else is saved.
“We need to keep corridors of biodiversity, even in growth areas.
“We shouldn’t just be planning for houses, we should also be planning for a sustainable future.”
Mr Hazzard’s comments were published here.
We have contacted Mr Hazzard and he has agreed to meet us to discuss the detail of these issues.
