Six Cities would 'increase costs and lessen local control'
The NSW Government's proposed Six Cities Region strategy will shift costs to council's and ratepayers, while taking decision-making away, according to a submission to a discussion paper by the Community Environment Network.
"The strategy to house an additional two million people between the Illawarra and the Hunter appears to have involved the NSW Government sidelining its own core environmental planning and assessment law to centralise control over planning decisions including land use and development," said Network chair Mr Gary Chestnut.
He said the power given to the Greater Cities Commission would be too broad.
"There is no check or balance that any report prepared by the Commission has been subject to any public consultation.
"All planning decisions need community input," he said.
"Without community input, planning decisions could be highjacked by vested interests."
SOURCE:
Media release, 2 Nov 2022
Gary Chestnut, CEN