NSW’s state architect warned senior bureaucrats that dumping draft rules for greener and more sustainable housing developments lacked sense, and said a powerful developers group was trying to “circumvent the process” by lobbying for Planning Minister Anthony Roberts to ditch the policy., known as the Design and Place State Environmental Planning Policy , at an event run by developer group Urban Taskforce on April 6.
Emails show the taskforce was directly lobbying Planning Department officials to scrap the policy entirely before April, prompting government architect Abbie Galvin to warn the group was “seeking to circumvent the process and jump to the front of the queue where they will be listened to”.“I think it is really critical that they are not given priority treatment simply because they have the loudest voice,” Galvin said in an email to Planning Department deputy secretary Brett Whitworth.
Planning and Homes Minister Anthony Roberts was told to prioritise affordable housing and delivering new homes.Notes from a meeting on April 11 with Whitworth and the department’s executive director of stakeholder engagement, William Power, also show Forrest had “noted the size of the [government architect’s] office has grown” and that he said “architects shouldn’t have a role in planning”.
“Given the [financial] investment so far has been huge, it’s important not to throw all of that away.”
MeganGorrey juliepower Dom_Perrottet does not have to look any further than his own electorate to see impact of current policies. Pic shows not Soweto but West Epping design under parracity AusINSArchitect RobStokesMP NSWChapterPres Urban_Taskforce Every day Sydney is becoming less sustainable