Lower Hunter Regional Strategy

Cart before the horse

The State Government has released the final Lower Hunter Regional Strategy and the draft Lower Hunter Conservation Plan. There is no infrastructure plan in sight!

On Tuesday I went to the launch of the Lower Hunter Regional Strategy and the draft Lower Hunter Regional Conservation Plan at the regional offices of the NSW Department of Planning.

There were many community members there, but no other candidates for the up-coming State Election. Didn't they see it as important?

Some points...

The declaration of 20,000 hectares of public land being converted to National Park is a positive, but this is offset by large amounts of environmentally significant land being earmarked for broad scale development.

The amount of land earmarked for development has doubled. This includes around 5000 hectares of prime bushland. Local conservationist’s concerns about some of the areas to be developed appear to have been ignored, as none were removed and ten new areas added. This particularly affects some key areas of coastal vegetation, which is a poor outcome for biodiversity conservation.

It also allows for broadscale landclearing and development in the habitat of the endangered squirrel glider, as well as allowing development that had previously been refused consent by the local council.

Some of the areas proposed for development also have poor access to public transport and major centres. Planning decisions nowadays must be mindful of climate change. The last thing the Government should be doing is encouraging people to get off trains and into their cars.

Some history...

15 July 2003: The State Government released the draft Thornton-Killingworth subregional Strategy which was meant to get a "balance" between conservation and development. This strategy was never finalised.

25 June 2004: Department of Planning formally advised Newcastle Council that it was preparing a draft Lower Hunter Regional Strategy, which would be "informed" by the draft Thornton-Killingworth subregional Strategy.

December 2004: Local planning staff say that the Queensland Govt's draft South East Queensland Regional Plan which integrates urban releases, conservation and infrastructure is a good model. See the final South East Queensland Regional Plan

June 2005: The draft Lower Hunter Regional Strategy was to be released for public comment. Goes to Sydney for approval and gets cut back.

4 November 2005: The draft Lower Hunter Regional Strategy is released for public comment. The document doesn't outline a conservation plan (promised to come later) or an infrastructure plan (promised to come later).

February 2006: After exhibition, the draft goes into a "black hole". Rumours that select "major" landowners are receiving special deals abound.

17 October 2006: The Premier, the Planning Minister and the Environment Minister release the final Lower Hunter Regional Strategy and the draft Lower Hunter Conservation Plan (infrastructure plan promised to come later).

So the Strategy is final without finalising the conservation plan or an infrastructure plan.

Regional Planning Sydney Labor style!