The local community should send a clear message to the State Labor Government that ‘dollars for deals’ planning laws should be tossed.

“A message has to be sent from our local community that we are well and truly over State Labor’s lousy planning laws which are more about ‘dollars for deals’ than good planning outcomes,” Anthony Roberts Member for Lane Cove said today.

“On the weekend the NSW Liberal/Nationals announced that when elected to government the Part 3A planning laws would go.

“There is a high level of concern that influence and dollars have too much sway in decision making by State Labor.

“Part 3A of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act was introduced in 2005 by State Labor and allows development applications to be considered by the Planning Minister rather than our local council(s).

“Our local community knows a lot better than the Planning Minister the kind of future we want for our area.

“Although the NSW Liberal/Nationals have committed to getting rid of Part 3A – State Labor still has over two years in Government and needs a clear message that it should get rid of Part 3A now.

“I’m calling on local residents to inundate the Planning Minister with letters demanding the repeal of State Labor’s Part 3A ‘dollars for deals’ planning laws.

“Revelations by the Planning Minister last week that since Part 3A was introduced, the State Labor Government have approved over 900 projects across NSW is alarming.

“Only people power from communities like ours can make State Labor sit up and take notice and hopefully if the Planning Minister hears the message, then she may repeal Part 3A earlier than the next election.”