Eighty-nine people spoke at nine public hearings, and the total attendance was 294. There was a fairly even number for and against the draft LEP overall or aspects of it.
Supporters included Liberal councillors, planning consultants, developers, architects, real estate agents, residents wanting their homes rezoned for high density and others seeking affordable housing. They said new home building had stalled because planning controls were too strict, growth targets set by the state government were not being met and a shortage of existing homes had caused prices to skyrocket.
Opponents included Labor and Shire Watch councillors, state MP Barry Collier, community and environmental groups, individual residents, businesses and a school affected by rezoning and other changes. They supported ‘‘sensible, not excessive development’’ and said the changes would not provide many ‘‘affordable’’ homes but would change the face of the shire and exceeded government requirements.
CLAIMS 'misleading'
LABOR councillor Peter Scaysbrook said Cr Johns was misleading in his claim that senior council staff recommended the ‘‘methodology’’ and ‘‘time schedule’’ of his mayoral minute.
Cr Scaysbrook said this was clear from a copy of an email from the then director of planning, John Brunton, to Cr Johns, which the former mayor tabled at the hearing.
‘‘There appears to be a subtle shift in emphasis between Cr Johns’s ‘methodology/time schedule’ and Mr Brunton’s ‘procedures/timetable,’ Cr Scaysbrook said.
‘‘Mr Brunton is explaining the procedure required and lists a series of progress dates that must be met to allow the mayoral minute to be presented on July 29.
‘‘He does NOT propose a strategy or suggest a schedule as Cr Johns seems to suggest.’’
Cr Scaysbrook said the former mayor’s statement that he expected a recission motion to follow the mayoral minute was ‘‘pure spin’’.
‘‘In the present council, only five recission motions have been raised; three of which had the support of Liberal councillors,’’ he said.
Cr Scaysbrook said the five days that councillors were given to digest the very complex report by staff was not long enough, without trying to assess detailed amendments with one hour’s notice.
Miranda MP Barry Collier said Cr Johns’s refusal to admit any problem with the draft LEP was astounding.
Mr Collier said Cr Johns also implied at the hearing that damaging allegations against him (Cr Johns) had come from Labor.
‘‘However, he told me after a traffic committee meeting last December, the allegations in the Fairfax press came from his opponents in the Liberal Party,’’ Mr Collier said.
BYELECTION ANGER
Barry Collier told the final public hearing even Premier Barry O’Farrell had admitted that allegations involving the council, and overdevelopment matters, were the major reason for the record 27 per cent swing to the Labor party in the Miranda by-election.
Mr Collier said his predecessor, Graham Annesley, had been so concerned about the plan to include Miranda in an urban activation zone, in which the government would control development, Cr Johns had had to withdraw it.
More coverage of the public hearings into the shire’s draft LEP in Thursday’s Leader.
