A highly controversial development site at Sutherland has been held up as an example of a Labor promise to end spot rezoning of properties if it wins the March 23 state election.
Labor planning spokeswoman Tania Mihailuk inspected the site at 10-14 Merton Street with Labor candidates Maryanne Stuart (Heatchcote), Jen Armstrong (Miranda), and Teressa Farhart (Cronulla).
For several years, a developer has been seeking approval for an 36 metre high apartment block (11 storeys), overlooking the playgrounds of St Patrick’s Primary School and Sutherland Public School.
The local environmental plan (LEP) provides a maximum building height of 20 metres (six storeys).
The rezoning proposal is being considered for a third time after previously being rejected by Sutherland Shire Council and two independent planning bodies.
Ms Mihailuk said a Labor government would "end the backdoor spot rezoning process, which has hijacked the planning system across the state".
The process, also known as a Pre-Gateway or Rezoning review, enables developers to apply directly to the Department of Planning and Environment for a variation to the zoning provided by an LEP.
Ms Mihailuk said the system, which was introduced by the present government in 2012, was "a developer-friendly backdoor that has allowed non-conforming development proposals to proceed after they have been rejected by a council".
Maryanne Stuart, who has collected several hundred names in a petition against the Merton Street proposal, said the DA had been rejected four times.
"The community does not understand why their voices do not count while developers are
constantly supported by the Berejiklian government," she said.
Ms Mihailuk said she was "shocked by the traffic congestion in the area".
"If you already have that situation, why would you be wanting to approve even higher density on the site?" she said.
Ms Mihailuk said a Labor government would also scrap the controversial Medium Density Housing Code.
The code, which was introduced in 2018 but deferred until July 2019 for most councils due to widespread protests, allows dual occupancies, terraces and town houses as complying development in R2 low density zones.
If developers meet prescribed standards, a full DA will not be required and they will not be subject to the same consultation rules.
Ms Mihailuk said Labor would also direct the Greater Sydney Commission to revise "unfair" housing supply targets across the city and scrap the Planned Precincts policy.
