The NSW Planning Minister has used powers under the COVID-19 Emergency Measures Act to extend the hours developers and construction companies are able to work - clearing the way for 7-days of work on construction sites for existing projects. 

These extended hours have come into force this week causing much concern to residents who will be severely impacted.

At a time when health advice is directing people to maintain social distancing, work from home and stay at home - it is understandable that many are worried about these extended construction hours.

There will no doubt be additional stress put on people living near construction sites who, under these changes, will have to tolerate unbroken days of construction impacts.

Many of our local communities are currently already impacted badly by WestConnex construction - and this will only exacerbate the problem.

Jamie Parker MP, NSW Greens spokesperson on Planning released this statement and continues to advocate for communities impacted by these changes. You can see him on a recent interview on Nine News here.

It is clear that the Government must:

• Stop all night work
• Provide effective noise and dust mitigation
• Install noise and vibration monitors in impacted homes
• Provide a strict noise timetable. 

In response to media reports that the demolition of the Sydney Football Stadium will begin this week, bypassing due process, we have written to the Minister for Planning seeking his urgent intervention.

Our office has been contacted by several residents who are concerned that this major project is being rushed through without the required checks and balances, and without considering the serious impacts on the local community. 

If you would like to add you voice to the call for urgent intervention from the Minister for Planning, please get in touch via [email protected] or contact Minister Roberts directly here

Jenny Leong MP, Member for Newtown has put on the record the extraordinary revelation that Goldman Sachs (the company paid $16.5 in public money to facilitate the sale of the of WestConnex and the Sydney Motorway Corporation), own a $6.2 million share in the company it was sold to.

Greens Member for Newtown, Jenny Leong MP, has slammed the latest sell off of land around Redfern station reported in the SMH today and called for the sell-off to be immediately stopped.

“Shamefully, this isn’t an isolated incident in our local area - the wholesale sell-off of public land around Redfern station started with the Australian Technology Park site, is happening just down the road in Waterloo, and it’s clear from these latest leaked documents that the Liberal’s privatisation agenda continues.”

The Baird Liberal Government has released its final UrbanGrowth plan for The Parramatta Rd corridor, including Camperdown. The density of the precinct will triple, but there is no new infrastructure to support these new residents.

While UrbanGrowth has scaled back their plans considerably due to strong opposition from the local community, the planned density increase is still extreme.  There are currently 720 people living in UrbanGrowth NSW’s Camperdown Precinct, and this plan will increase that to 2120.

The Baird Liberal Government has released its final UrbanGrowth plan for The Parramatta Rd corridor, including Taverners Hill. The density of the precinct will increase more than 400%, but there is no new infrastructure to support these new residents.

Many residents have contacted me understandably upset about the unnecessary destruction of the giant fig trees on ANZAC Parade.  I am very concerned about the loss of these wonderful trees, and know that many constituents in the electorate feel the same. Your emails and phone calls prompted me to make a speech raising these issues in parliament last week.

Welcoming news that Sydney University has added its weight behind the campaign for light rail along Parramatta Road, the two local state members said the Liberal State Government needed to meet community expectations and jump into the 21^st century with its transport planning.

Media Release

Residents on and around Alice St in Newtown are celebrating after the Land and Environment Court refused an appeal by the development company Al Maha to expand their Alice St development.

Al Maha’s Development Application (DA) to add additional storeys to the block was refused by Marrickville Council twice earlier this year. Both Council and surrounding residents are concerned that development beyond the approved 5-storeys will be too high-density for the area, where public space, amenities and public transport are already under pressure.

We have a vision for a city that is liveable, sustainable and diverse. This means investing in affordable housing, green space, community facilities, public transport and recreational facilities. It means embracing innovative design and sustainable technologies.  It means engaging in meaningful consultation with communities.

By fast tracking development and scrapping good planning guidelines, developers will win over the needs of the community. The government's Urban Growth strategy is a threat to that vision. UrbanGrowth NSW has no targets for affordable housing, sustainability or open space. There are no guarantees that these new and expanded neighbourhoods will have the critical infrastructure they need such as schools, sporting fields, medical facilities or public transport.