The Honeysuckle Planning Charade

Press Release 12th September 2000

The Honeysuckle Planning Charade

This Media Release was written before Council made its jelly belly decision tonight. You would have thought the councillors would have praised their professional officers for making such a good report and seeing that the project was properly assessed by the consent authority (the Minister for Urban Affairs and Planning. If you havent written to the Minister requesting a Commission of Inquiry before he grants consent , then do so immediately

Thanks
Doug..

Tuesday, 12 September 2000

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Central Honeysuckle - Regional Planning or Regional deception ? Becton Merewether Wharf Hotel DA?

Did the State Government create a Regional Environmental Plan (REP) over Honeysuckle and establish the Minister for Planning as the Consent Authority for Honeysuckle 10/12/1997 without the intention of upholding the letter and spirit of the REP?

Was the Minister's REP just subterfuge at the time to cover up the mistakes of the Honeysuckle Development Corporation for which he was responsible?

The Honeysuckle Development Corporation advertised a "Call For Expressions of Interest" in November 1996 stating Newcastle Council planning guidelines were in place for Hotel/convention/and residential development. Response was to be by 5 Dec 1996.

However the zoning and guidelines were not in place and Newcastle Council was blamed.

Parks and Playgrounds Movement calls upon the current Minister the Hon Dr Andrew Refshauge to uphold the Regional Environmental Plan when assessing the current Honeysuckle Development Application and to establish a Commission of Inquiry to advise him.

The present Becton Corporation DA should not just be pushed over to Newcastle City Council for its approval in principle.

The proposal needs to be assessed in a transparent and professional way by the Consent Authority (The Minister ) without Council bashing.

There are four conflicting plans that must be considered when assessing the merit of the current development:

1. The statutory Regional Environmental Plan No.3
2. The Public Domain Concept Plan (Part of the REP)
3. The Newcastle Council Development Control Plan No.40 and
4. The Urban Design Plan 1995 for the area.

If there is to be credibility injected into planning for Honeysuckle the Minister must establish a Commission of Inquiry under Sec 119 EP&A Act to advise him as the consent authority.

Parks and Playgrounds Movement believes that this is the only way to create a logical and transparent framework for the assessment of the Becton DA and recover the community's confidence in planning and Honeysuckle.

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Douglas Lithgow
Parks & Playgrounds Movement Inc