Few answers for residents on Green Paper

Few answers for residents on Green Paper

A heated question and answer session erupted at the most recent Leichhardt precinct ‘Meet the Candidates’ meeting.

Residents demanded answers on what each candidate’s position was in relation to proposals made in the Green Paper. Held on August 8, residents also asked what each candidate would they be prepare to do if residents or community members came to them and asked them to intervene on their behalf.

The State Government’s Green Paper proposes changes in development planning powers. The move has led to resident concerns whether Council will have a say on planning control.

A number of residents felt the Labor, Liberal and independent candidates present evaded answering their questions.

Resident Teena Clerke said: “From my perspective, Rochelle [Porteous] and Hall [Greenland] were the only two who knew about the local issue and knew what was relevant and had up to date information about those issues.

“The other candidates ranged from bumbling inarticulateness, which is embarrassing, to a capacity to evade a commitment in any way, shape or form which was Simon’s [Emsley] response.

“How can I respond to that?”

The “muddled” responses concerned residents, instilling a sense of mistrust with regards to some of the candidates.

Leichhardt resident Sandra Jones said: “What I found under the current council was that this council has been particularly keen at community consultation and I think residents need to appreciate that Leichhardt council is unique in this respect and quite lucky.

“If there were huge changes in council and we had councillors on board who did not feel residents have a say or a place in any planning process, that things would very different and that would be to the detriment of the community.”

Residents targeted most of their questions at Labor candidate Simon Emsley and Liberal Councillor Tony Costantino as the spokespeople present for the Labor and Liberal parties.

When the Inner West Independent asked Mr Emsley what his personal commitment to the Green Paper proposals was, he said: “Local Labor vigorously opposes this new policy kite, which flags a highly centralised state planning system dramatically reducing Council’s capacity to control development.”

Mr Constantino declined to comment.

 

 

 

 

 

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