In February Greens MP for Balmain, Jamie Parker was presented with a 10,000 signature petition from representatives of local councils and the Friends of the GreenWay community group supporting the GreenWay.

“I’m delighted to have been involved in such an important community campaign. After over a decade of community campaigning, this is important in ensuring that we keep pressure on the government to build the GreenWay,” Jamie Parker said.

There will also be a post-debate debrief in the Waratah room to discuss the next steps for the campaign all welcome. RSVP: 9660 7586 or alison.martin@parliament.nsw.gov.au.

Greens MP Jamie Parker is joining with Greens transport spokesperson Cate Faehrmann to hold community consultation workshops to ensure residents of the Balmain electorate have their say.

Feedback and ideas gathered at the workshops will be collated and considered as part of the Greens’ response to the government’s draft Transport Master Plan.

“I encourage community members to come to one of our workshops to have their say on how public transport can be improved in our community,” Mr Parker said.

“Our community deserves more efficient and accessible transport options and I am committed to working toward genuine solutions.

“I am concerned that the voices of my community may be ignored during the government’s process so I am holding these workshops to ensure everyone has the opportunity to have input into transport planning for our area,” Mr Parker said.

Leichhardt Workshop
7-8:30pm Thu 7 June 2012
Leichhardt Town Hall, 107 Norton St Leichhardt

Balmain Workshop
7-8:30pm Mon 25 June 2012
Balmain Town Hall meeting room, 370 Darling St Balmain.

RSVP: Alison Martin or Fiona Byrne – 9660 7586

“Anyone who thinks that building more motorways will alleviate traffic congestion isn’t looking at the evidence,” said Ms Faehrmann.

“After new motorways are built, traffic congestion returns to previous levels within a few a years.

“Sydney’s traffic has flat-lined for the past eight years. The cost of petrol is starting to hurt and people have been voting with their feet – we need more public transport not more motorways.

“Building more motorways is more about increasing tolls for private operators than it is about reducing congestion.

“We also need to get the projected increase in container traffic out of Port Botany onto rail. Expansion of the rail freight network will be cheaper and more sustainable than allowing an unnecessary expansion of the road network to suck up all the available transport infrastructure dollars,” said Ms Faehrmann.

For someone buying a MyMulti DayPass that’s a difference of more than $10. We think that’s pretty unfair considering Newstart recipients can be getting as little as $250 per week.

That’s why the Greens are calling on the NSW Government to extend MyMulti and Weekly transport concessions to people on unemployment benefits. We think that’s the least they can do.

These concessions make a big difference if you’re literally counting every penny. The result is that some people just can’t get to job interviews while a few are driven to fare evasion, risking hefty fines.

Access to affordable transport is a basic right. In our wealthy society we shouldn’t be putting unnecessary barriers in front of people who are looking for work, especially considering once employed they’ll be paying taxes and taking pressure off public services.

To make this happen we need your support – and just 30 seconds of your time. Please sign the petition to the Transport Minister on the Greens ‘Fair Go on Fares’ web page.

The development was placed on public exhibition by the NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure on 18 April 2012 for a total of 62 days and will be determined by the State Government appointed Planning Assessment Commission (PAC).

The developer and current owner of the site, Rozelle Village Pty Ltd, wants approval for three massive structures – two are 26 storeys high and one is 32 storeys high.

Leichhardt Council delivered an information session on the proposal, giving a detailed overview of the proposal and the potential impacts on residents and businesses and traffic.

Following this, a resolution was passed by the packed audience ‘that the meeting supports the return of a Tigers Leagues Club to Rozelle but we overwhelmingly oppose this development proposal and call on the Minister of Planning to throw this planning proposal out’.

Mayor of Leichhardt Cr Rochelle Porteous said the resolution was voted for overwhelmingly.

“There is very united opposition to this development. We had the Balmain Rozelle Business Chamber, the local resident groups, the Balmain Association and Councillors from all political parties speaking in the opposition to this appalling development proposal,” Cr Porteous said.

“It was a massive turnout, standing room only in fact. We had to turn people away as we couldn’t fit anyone else in the room.

“The meeting sends a very clear message to the developers, the PAC and to the Minister for Planning about the strength of opposition in the community to this massive overdevelopment.”

Related Links:

Leichhardt Council – Balmain League Club site page – View Extracts from te plan as well as the Environmental Assessment Report

www.saverozelle.com

The Government’s legislation allows Councillors to vote on rezoning proposals, changes to development control plans and other broad planning decisions that impacts on land that they own, opening the door to wide-scale, and legal, corruption at a local level.

The Greens are calling on the government to reverse this poor decision and remove this corrupting element from local councils.

The impact of this legislation is that it will allow:

• Councillors who own shops in commercial precincts, or other land holdings, to increase the FSR on that land and thereby greatly increase its development potential and substantially increase its value;

• Rural and regional councillors, particularly in growing towns such as Dubbo, Orange, Albury, Wagga Wagga and the like, to vote to rezone land they own on the outskirts of town from “rural” to “industrial” or “residential” and reap potentially very, very large personal profits.

• Councillors who own commercial or industrial land to vote to, for example, water down contribution requirements in Council wide parking Development Control Plans where there is a change of use, (such as changing from low off street parking use of industrial to higher of commercial) thereby delivering them hundreds of thousands of dollars in savings if they change from a less to a more intense use;

It will also encourage property owners and property developers to put up their hand to run for Council in September knowing that, if elected, they can vote to improve the development yield on their own land and personally enrich themselves. In other words it is an invitation to carpet baggers to run for Council.

To read more about this issue follow the link to David’s web page – Government legalises corruption in local councils

To this end, Leichhardt Council and representatives of the Balmain/Rozelle and Leichhardt/Annandale Chambers Of Commerce discussed last year how we could work together to address the constraints facing local businesses.

One of the key concerns was ensuring our high street retail strips remained active and vibrant.

With this in mind, Leichhardt Council established two High Street Taskforces for both areas and recruited an Economic Development Officer to work directly with local businesses and convene the Taskforces.

Each Taskforce meets once a month to contribute ideas on how to help local business infrastructure and environment on Darling, Norton, Booth and Johnston Streets and Parramatta Rd.

The Taskforces also ensure that Leichhardt Council provides a high leve1 of service to our business districts, including fixing potholes and footpaths within a set time, removing posters and graffiti, cleaning and providing more bins.

The Balmain/Rozelle Taskforce has focused on streetscape upgrades and getting more 15 minute free parking spots. Council has responded, With additional infrastructure, maintenance works and more free 15 minute parking spaces.

The Leichhardt/Annandale Taskforce recently hosted a forum on Parramatta Road for Leichhardt and Marrickville businesses. Well attended, it covered many issues including bow councils and businesses can work together to revitalise the Road.

Leichhardt Council is also currently surveying local businesses as part of its Employment and Economic Development Plan (EEDP). The EEDP will provide a further boost to local businesses. Due to be completed shortly it will be implemented later this year with ten and four year programs and long term framework for a more structured and Coordinated approach to economic sustainability.

The principle aim for both these programs is to support, attract and grow local business alongside building relationships with various stakeholders including, most importantly, the community as a whole.

For further information go to www.leichhardt.nsw.gov.au/High-Street-Taskforce or contact the Economic Development Team on 0429 485 626.

The development was placed on public exhibition by the NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure on 18 April 2012 for a total of 62 days and will be determined by the State Government appointed Planning Assessment Commission (PAC).

The developer and current owner of the site, Rozelle Village Pty Ltd, wants approval for three massive structures – two are 26 storeys high and one is 32 storeys high.

Mayor of Leichhardt Cr Rochelle Porteous said council officers on May 3 will be giving a detailed overview of the proposal and the potential impacts on residents and businesses and traffic.

“I encourage everyone to attend as councillors and myself are keen to hear from you to ensure that all issues of concern to local residents and businesses are fully addressed in the council submission to the PAC,” she said.

“Council very much wants to see Balmain Leagues Club back in Rozelle and we also want to see quality, sustainable, well-designed and meaningfully consulted development with significant public benefit.

“The scale of this development I can only describe as deeply offensive to our community.”

In drafting its submission to the PAC, Council has appointed a team of consultants to review the traffic, town planning issues and design issues. In addition Council is investigating suitable consultants for a retail review and will undertake a traffic modelling study.

Council has needed to commit $100,000 to undertake this work.

Related Links:

Leichhardt Council – Balmain League Club site page – View Extracts from te plan as well as the Environmental Assessment Report

www.saverozelle.com

“I share the concerns of residents and businesses about the size, scale and impact of this proposal,” Mr Parker said.

“The plan includes three towers, one at 32 storeys and two at 26 storeys. The Joint Regional Planning Panel has already rejected much smaller plans due to concerns about height, design and traffic.

“This proposal more than doubles the number of dwellings to a total of 304, almost triples commercial floor space and increases parking spaces to 834.

“My office is undertaking a comprehensive review of the proposal. After this review has been completed I will be able to specifically address each issue of the development.

“I encourage community members to examine the plans now on public exhibition and to have their say on this significant development.

“I will continue to support the community and advocate for sustainable and appropriate development for our area,” Mr Parker said

Related Links:

www.jamieparker.org.au

www.saverozelle.com