One of the most significant developments to confront the shire has been the very contentious Heathcote Hall Development Application which will allow 55 units including flats in a suburban street tree lined street.
At last year's Sydney South Planning Panel meeting the community presented its case in a professional and sensible manner. It all fell on deaf ears. The state election is over and the bulldozers and cement mixers continue to rumble around the shire.
So why would we be surprised when the Sydney South Planning Panel have announced the next community meeting at Sutherland Shire Council on August 21 at a time when the least number of residents can attend.
Everyone knows that there are three periods to consider when calling for a meeting that is contentious and you do not want community members attending in numbers. The first is to set the meeting down for Christmas, the New Year period or if you can't do that you announce the time for the meeting mid-afternoon while everyone is at work. And that is what the state government-appointed panel has done.
The meeting is at 2pm. It is brazen, shocking and unfair given this particular DA has attracted enormous attention across the shire and beyond. We call on the planning panel and the state government to reschedule this meeting for 6 PM.
Patrick Kennedy, Residents against over Development, Heathcote
