Five community representatives – all men – have been chosen to help decide contentious development applications in Sutherland Shire.
The five representatives were chosen from 26 applicants during a confidential session of Sutherland Shire Council.
Five planning experts from a state government approved pool were also selected to make up the revamped Independent Hearing and Assessment Panel (IHAP).
A council spokeswoman said the community representatives were Kurt Ingle, David Russell, Mark Carleton, David Corry and Peter Flynn.
No details were provided on their backgrounds.
A council spokeswoman said “attributes that were considered during the selection process included length of residency in Sutherland Shire, connections to the local community, such as involvement with sporting or community groups, ability to represent the broader interests and views of the community, as well as experience in the planning and development field, and level of understanding of the legislative planning framework that the panel must work within”.
A panel comprises a state government appointed chair, two technical experts and one community representative.
A council report last year recommended the community representative receive a fee of $500 a meeting.
Decisions on development applications (DAs) up to a value of $30 million are made by council staff if they are minor or straight-forward, with IHAP deciding the remainder.
The regional Sydney South Planning Panel determines higher-value DAs.
Expert and community members have been appointed for three years.