.,---------------------_._- OVERDEVELOPMENTI In response to increasing local opposition to overdevelopment, the Mayor of Leichhardt, Councillor MairE:Sheehan, called a public meeting on over- development at Leichhardt Town Hall on Wednesday 17 November. As background to the issue, Council provided an information sheet to all who attended. In order that readers are aware of the procedures regarding local planning controls. and the current position in Leichhardt, this information from Council is reproduced on p2. Below is a brief report on the meeting from the Secretary of Precinct 13. The meeting was extremely well concerned about overdevelopment in attended - Leichhardt Town Wasfull our area write to the Minister and let to capacity. Many people were him know that Leichhardt standing, or sitting on the Boor. The municipality residents have had issues raised all followed the same line enough! - people were fed up with less In the opinion of Councillor Hall sunlight and open space, worried Greenland, the State Government about the effect of more people on doesn't want our Town Plan the infrastructure (especially the old approved because they want to day sewer pipes), and more traffic. increase density in our municipality. Leichhardt Council wants to A number of motions were persuade the State Government to successfully put to the meeting, one approve its Town Plan which has that the FSR (floor space ratio) across been sitting on the desk of the the municipality be reinstated as Minister for Urban AfFairsand 0.5:1. Currently the Town Plan Planning (Dr Andrew Refshauge) for gives Glebe a ratio of 0.7: 1 - and the twelve months. State Government wants more! ••.- Deputy Mayor Kris Cruden told the What if everyone in the Glebe meeting that "Council wants to work Society were to write a letter - it u with the residents to ensure that our doesn't have to be long or eloquent - Town Plan will maintain and just telling the Minister that we want improve residents' quality of life. We the Leichhardt Town Plan approved o are aiming for dearer rules, so that so that we stop losing cases in the U) any developer will know before Land and Environment Conn. ...the Mayor asked that those who are concerned about overdeve1opment in our area write to the Minister and let him (-- ------, - I -__ .J. __ .1 I know that Leichhardt municipality residents have had enough! \~~: ~ submitting an application, just Why don't we all fax such a letter to exacdy what is acceptable and what is the Minister on Monday 30 not." Council is united on this issue, November - his fax number is she said. 9957.2145 (this faxing Sttategywas Mayor Maire Sheehan said she successful four years ago in the fight thought that the municipality had for funding for the Glebe Library). done its bit for urban consolidation Let the Minister for Urban .AfF.tirs and stated that Council is hopeful Dr and Planning realise we mean Refshauge will realise this. But, she business! said, Council needs help from Chris Newton (ph.9660. 8349) residents, and the only way we can Secretary Precinct 13 save this community is to work and fight together. In order to add [precinct 13 meets on the first weight to Council's position, the Wednesday of the month at 7.00 pm Mayor asked that those who are in the Toxteth Hotel Meeting Room] A publication of THE GLEBESOCIElY Inc Box 100 Post Office Glebe NSW 2037 Australia The information below is reproduced from the leaflet distributed fitthe public meeting on overdevelopment called by Leichhardt Council, and held at Leichhardt Town Hall on Wednesday 17 November. Council has a meeting with the Minister on this issue on 31 December Developing Local Planning Conttols The Current pOtlfion In Lelchharclt Some years ago the Council embarked on a process to In NSW there is a planning hierarchy. The State review its long standing controls attd to develop a new ,.Government,. through the Department of Urban Affairs UP 20 and DCP 1Plan for the whole CoUncil area, and Planning, develops and enforces State known as the Leichhardt Town Plan. The Town Plan Environmental Planning Policies and Regional includes a draft LEP and a draft DCP. The process Environmental Plans. Each Council must then prepare involved extensive community consultation and was their own local planning controls that are consistent steered by a committee made up of community rep- with the State and Regional policies and plans. resentatives. Ueanette Knox represented the Society.] Because of the relative 'superiority' of State and regional The draft Town Plan was completed in late 1997 and policies, local councils find that, in developing their own publicly exhibited for several months. The final draft local controls, they must 'toe the line'. The most obvious was adopted by Council in late 1998 and was submitted example is the State policy that requires 'urban to DUAP for their, and Ministerial, approval. consolidation' in the Sydney metropolitan area. The Unfortunately DUAP has not accepted the new plan result of this is that each Council has to develop local and the Council has been tied up in negotiations for planning policies that increase residential development, some time attempting to convince the State whether they want to or not. Government of the merits of the plan. DPAP appears to be most concerned by Council's deliberate attempts Each local Council has responsibility for preparing their to put limits on the density and scale of new residential own local controls, usually in the form of Local development. Environmental Plans (LEPs) and Development Control Since the election of the new Council in September Plans (DCPs). These documents outline the broad 1999, the Council has embarked on trying to get in planning objectives for an area and provide the detail of place local planning controls tltatwill illTtSt the rate how these objectives are to be met through land use and and scale of change to residential areas. development controls. In September 1999 Council adopted a Mayoral minute LEPs usually 'zone' land to allow for particular types of to pursue a strategy of negotiation and public development (and prohibit particular types of campaigning to adtieve support for Leichbardt's development) such as residential, commercial and position. industrial, in specific areas, and also often spell out The Coundl is proposing both shorl term and long building density controls such as the numbers of storeys, term strategies. The Council wants the State to approve the amount of open space to be provided and so on. the draft Town Plan in order that there are better LEPs will often include detailed heritage and controls than currently exist, as soon as possible. Once conservation controls and other planning matters unique the LEP is in place further work will be done on to a particular area such as foreshore building setbacks. Council's DCP in order to strengthen and support the controls in the LEP. The Minister for Urban Affairs and Planning signs off all LEPs. It is only then that the local controls have Council and community representatives have met with legislative status. DUAP prepares the submission to the senior officers of DUAP to push the Council's case and Minister for approval but only after it is satisfied that the Council will be addressing a Ministerial advisory LEP is consistent with State and Regional policies and committee on 25 Nl)vember to argue that: plans. • Leicbhardt has done its bit for regional urban consolidation DCPs provide much more detailed controls, usually • The draft Town Plan should be approved by based on a more detailed analysis of precinct or the State Government nelghbourhood characteristics. Details win often • Following the approval of the Town Plan, include things such as how particular streetscape further detailed work on a precinc:t-by-precinct characteristics are to be retained, setbacks between basis sheuldbe undertaken to ensure that the buildings, how to retain reasonable solar access to character arid amenity of residential areas is backyards etc. , protected. The Council will be seeking a commitment from The ability of councils to determine the type and scale of DUAP that l:be Town Plan, and the Council's overall development in their area is therefore very much strategy, will be approved before the end of the year. controlled by the State Government, which has the If no such commitment is obtained then the Council power to enforce overriding policies and has the final will have no alternative than to mount a significant say on any local controls. public ounpaign to adtieve its ends. 2 The Changing Face of Glebe ADDITIONAL WORDS FROM THE PRESIDENT The Glebe Society calls on the State Government and Leichhardt Council to closely scrutinise the likely community impact of the Harold Park redevelopment .proposal. While the Society recognises that Harold Park is a national facility, this does not excuse it from being a good neighbour. In the past the HAROLD PARK PACEWAY Paceway has displayed an arrogant disregard for the wishes and A proposal for the further expansion of Harold Park Paceway aspirations of the local community. was on display at The Glebe Library until November 24. It and at this stage there appears to be has now moved back to Council's Administrative Centre at nothing in this proposal which Wetherill St Leichhardt, and submissions close on 3 December. commends it to the residents of Glebe and surrounding suburbs. There are a number of 'members' rooms' would be as While the Society has not yet made controversial aspects to the high as the existing a formal submission to the proposal: grandstand, and nothing Council. we have identified two would be lower than the 1.