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25.01.2022 COVID-19 and Density In response to an article: https://www.domain.com.au//high-density-living-should-no/ on the Sydney Morning Herald website we had the letter below published in the paper of 9 April 2020. It is sobering to see what inaccuracies can be promulgated. There was not sufficient space in a letter to deal with all of it.... RMIT University professor and planning expert Billies Giles-Cortis is quoted as saying that in a dense city there is more physical activity and the article implied therefore less heart disease, stroke and type two diabetes. But the facts do not support this. These problems are more related to income than density. In poor dense parts of cities these diseases are prevalent. Looking at Sydney, people in dense Marrickville, with many small shops and oodles of public transport, have more heart disease and diabetes on the whole than those in the low-density outer suburbs with equivalent incomes. The suburbs, after all, have been with us for 80 years and reached its mature development over 50 years ago. Obesity, on the other hand, is a much more recent phenomenon and is primarily due to people eating too much fattening food. Perhaps easy access to small shops provides easy access to junk food. In addition to the comments on Hong Kong and Singapore referred to in our letter, managing director of EG Urban Planning Shane Geha is quoted as saying low density has a terrible effect on pollution. The converse is the case see our article: ihttps://www.newgeography.com/content/006511-sydney-high-density-planningn newgeography on this topic and also on the subject of transport that he talks about. It seems the ideological beliefs pervading the planning profession are completely impervious to logic and facts. The Greater Sydney Planning Commission continues to force our councils to increase density. We all suffer the consequences.
17.01.2022 Developers rap Planning Minister over the knuckles An amazing exchange of correspondence clearly demonstrates the extent to which the State Government is in the iron grip of developers. Ku-ring-gai Council sent a letter to the Premier Gladys Berejikian in relation to discussions regarding its housing strategy. This strategy, imposed by the Greater Sydney Commission under its usual guise of consultation required zoning for 3,000 to 3,600 additional dwellings on top of the c...Continue reading
15.01.2022 Peter Gould is Just asking the question if this Moonee Valley Local Council candidate "Alexander Paporakis" is affiliated with Save Our Suburbs (Inc), as he is using the SOS name in the heading of his website linked below? Can any official advise? Peter, SOS Victoria is a different group from SOS NSW. Have you asked SOS Victoria? :-)
14.01.2022 The latest revelations at the Independent Commission Against Corruption regarding former MP Darryl Maguire indicate the falsity of the claim referred to in our previous email that the current planning system results in more positive outcomes This is further emphasised by an article in the New Daily Politicians gift property developers billions of dollars every year (https://thenewdaily.com.au//property-developers-berejikl/) This article details extraordinary benefit...s developers obtain from political and bureaucratic decisions The Government methodology resulting in this situation is breathtakingly simple. In the face of an increasing population it restricts the release of land for single-residential housing. Land has become scarce and the price has shot up. People are then forced into units. With negligible competition developers can then obtain huge prices for their units. Their profits are increased still further by the benefits bestowed on them from the processes described in the New Daily article. Who pays? The public does in the form of extortionist housing costs. After Hong Kong and Vancouver Sydney is the least affordable developed city in the world. The cost of a dwelling is twelve times median household income. In United States cities where there is no land release restriction this cost is less than three times household income. We need to impress on our politicians that planning legislation must be for the overall public good instead of for the benefit of politicians. Please take every opportunity to do so. Tony Recsei See more
04.01.2022 MEDIUM DENSITY FORCED INTO COMMUNITIES The NSW government has no shame when it comes to manipulating the electorate. In a drive to force more high-density into existing suburbs a policy (medium density complying development) was introduced to allow medium density development without the need to go through a development application process. Councils have been forced to rezone areas for medium density. This change allows large developments of town houses, terrace houses, mano...r houses and villas. Neighbours will be informed, but they cannot comment or object. Nor can third parties, such as resident or progress associations comment or object. Councils reacted furiously against this pending imposition and as a state election was looming at the time the authorities blinked and the introduction of the policy was delayed. There is nothing a politician fears more than losing votes. Now NSW Planning Minister Rob Stokes has announced there will be no further delays to the introduction of the code. Is seems this is the best time for them to strike because: The COVID-19 pandemic and the economic crisis are currently completely dominating the news and negligible attention is being paid to other issues Public protests will not be possible as gatherings of more than 100 people will be banned The next state election is not due until 25 March 2023 The result allows medium density to be built next to you, maybe in all of your street without an opportunity for you to object. Depending on the size of the development there could be a huge increase in traffic, overcrowded street parking, gardens and heritage destroyed. Your way of life and amenity could be severely impacted. More density also results in high housing costs and an increase in the incidence of some mental illness. Alarmingly, higher density promotes the spread of epidemics such as the COVID-19 pandemic. See https://www.newgeography.com//006511-sydney-high-density-p for more on the downside of high density policies. It seems that what the people want and need is irrelevant to this government.
02.01.2022 Letter in Australian Financial Review - the rot spreads. This attached letter was published in the Australian Financial Review. It speaks for itself.
