State News 58, July 2010 - Clover Moore MP, Lord Mayor of Sydney
Transcription
State News 58, July 2010 - Clover Moore MP, Lord Mayor of Sydney
CLOVER MOORE MEMBER FOR SYDNEY NEWSLETTER 58 JULY 2010 Photo by C.Moore Hardy PEOPLE RALLY against SCG grab for Moore Park After a leaked letter revealed the NSW Government is considering transferring control of Moore Park from the Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust (CPMPT) to the Sydney Cricket and Sports Ground Trust (SCG), people packed Paddington Town Hall on a wet night to object. Thank you to fellow speakers the Hon Neville Wran, the Hon Malcolm Turnbull, CPMPT Chair John Walker and Greens Councillor David Shoebridge. The CPMPT mandate is to protect and maintain public open space, while the SCG’s role is to promote commercial sporting events. The SCG wants Moore Park to expand club-land and car parking. The Premier has now told the two trusts to negotiate, but the issue in contention is totally unacceptable. The SCG wants to site NRL Headquarters on the Gold Members car park, which it got rezoned for development. It wants to put the displaced car parking on Moore Park. Where is this going to end...? Would this happen to New York’s Central Park, London’s Hyde Park or Rome’s Villa Borghese? Rally speakers: John Walker, David Shoebridge, Clover Moore, Neville Wran and Malcolm Turnbull Moore Park is part of the 1811 Governor Macquarie 405 hectare Sydney Common bequest. Only a third remains as open public land and with Sydney’s increasing residential densities, we certainly can’t lose any more! URGENT call to ACTION! Tell our State leaders to stop further alienation of our parkland. Act today to stop the SCG spreading ‘clubland’ and car parking over Moore Park. Your emails, letters and phone calls can help stop the theft. Send them to > Premier KRISTINA KENEALLY Level 40 Governor Macquarie Tower 1 Farrar Place, Sydney NSW 2000 Phone: 9228 5239 Email: [email protected] Opposition Leader BARRY O’FARRELL Parliament House, Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000 Phone: 9230 2270 Email: [email protected] Electorate Office 58 Oxford Street Paddington NSW 2021 T 02 9360 3053 F 02 9331 6963 E [email protected] FROM PARLIAMENT Same-sex adoption overdue My Adoption Amendment (Same Sex Couples) Bill would remove discrimination against same-sex couples trying to adopt. This is vital for “known adoptions” where one parent comes to a relationship with children, but the new partner cannot be legally recognised if he/she is of the same gender, leaving the children insecure. The Government and Opposition combined to allow commercial tourist developments like private resorts, function centres, fast food outlets and retail shops in our national parks. National parks and wilderness areas should be managed to conserve nature, not to promote profit from tourism. There is strong community support for same-sex adoption and unlike in 2000 when no other Member of Parliament supported my amendments, both the Premier and Leader of the Opposition have said their parties will be allowed a conscience vote. National Parks exposed to development Despite legal advice showing potential damage to national parks, only one other MP – Greg Piper Independent for Lake Macquarie, supported my opposition to the National Parks and Wildlife Amendment (Visitors and Tourists) Bill. Photo by Andrew Cox One small step for dog owners Dog owners can finally legally take their dogs to alfresco dining areas. How revolutionary!... What has been commonplace in other countries for decades is now permitted here, in a limited way. But the Government didn’t go overboard. My call in the debate on the Companion Animals Amendment (Outdoor Dining Areas) Bill to allow pets on public transport was ignored as subversive. Cycling... real benefits In Parliament I reported independent research conducted for the City of Sydney which shows an economic benefit of $4 for every dollar spent on separated cycleways compared to $2 on motorways. Cycling is part of the solution to traffic congestion. Half of inner city car trips are less than five kilometres and would be quicker by bike, but many people who would ride don’t because they feel unsafe. Separated cycleways improve safety by giving cyclists their own two-way dedicated lanes protected by a median strip. The recent State budget allocated $56 million over four years on missing cycle path links. MORE NEWS ON SYDNEY ELECTORATE ISSUES visit www.clovermoore.com FROM PARLIAMENTcontinued A single transport authority After years of calling for a single transport authority, the Transport NSW Director General was given control of all transport infrastructure, policy, planning and services. The Transport Administration Amendment Bill merges rail, bus, ferry, cycling, roads and freight budgets and replaces numerous transport boards with a single body. In Parliament I called for planning to reflect the green transport hierarchy, public transport, cycling and walking. Unfortunately the renewed opportunity for better planning and delivery has been offset again by splitting the transport and roads portfolios between two ministers. community campaign the Government is auditing Walsh Bay transport, but refuses to consider bus services between Fiveways and the Edgecliff interchange. I also continue to argue that the 311 bus should travel to Circular Quay and via the Elizabeth Bay loop. In response to my calls and a strong Register to help all relationships Parliament supported a watered down version of a bill I introduced 13 years ago to allow adult couples to register their relationship, ensuring their legal rights. The Government’s Relationships Register Bill could help give couples including same-sex couples common relationship recognition and rights. Loving relationships provide stability and a sense of belonging and should be recognised and protected. More needed to protect aboriginal cultural heritage The National Parks and Wildlife Amendment Bill increases penalties, simplifies enforcement procedures and creates new orders to fix damage to national parks, reserves, threatened species and Aboriginal cultural heritage. City planning under State review The Central Sydney Planning Committee (CSPC) comprises of State and Local representatives to assess inner city developments over $50 million. I told Parliament that a genuine review would seek to increase the cost threshold While the Director General will have to consult Aboriginal people and consider cultural significance before permitting damage to Aboriginal heritage, economic interests must also be considered, which could allow continued destruction. In Parliament, I called for standalone legislation to protect Aboriginal heritage as exists in all other states and territories. for developments that go to the CSPC, which have remained unchanged since 1988; and bring all central Sydney planning under the Council and CSPC instead of the fragmented planning of numerous bodies like the Redfern Waterloo Authority and the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority. The CSPC is a public forum and is advised by a design panel made up of award winning architects. There are rumours that some in the Good outcome for the heritage ‘Money Box’ building at Martin Place development lobby want to abolish the CSPC to replace it with an unelected and faceless planning panel and more assessments by the Planning Minister. REACH US BY EMAIL at [email protected] LOCAL NEWS St Vincent’s development & concept plans Part 3A is removing council and resident involvement in design and development. This is especially important for an expanding land locked institution such as the St Vincent’s precinct interfacing with residential terraces and city heritage. Efforts to reduce bulk on the site have met with little success and 1870s terraces have gone. The broadly supported 2005 Master Plan was withdrawn, and my submission on the new plan requested fewer parking spaces to discourage car use, that traffic be redirected away from narrow backstreets, and that proposed building heights be reduced to prevent overshadowing of adjacent homes. Victor Chang Institute to be obscured and overshadowed by what is to come. Scottish Hospital aged accommodation Presbyterian Aged Care NSW plans to redevelop the Scottish Hospital site in Paddington with 90 independent living units and 104 high-care beds. Unlike the 2002 proposal, heritage trees will be maintained, an enlarged park to the north of the site will likely be dedicated for community use, and despite being a Part 3A application, the church is consulting the community. Residents who have contacted my office are concerned about the bulk and scale, loss of views from Glenview and Glen streets, and traffic impacts. I attended a briefing session, met with church consultants and made a submission based on your feedback. Anzac Memorial The Anzac Memorial serves as an important reminder of the sacrifices that Australian service men and women continue to make for our country. During debate on the Anzac Memorial (Building) Amendment Bill, I welcomed heritage listing of this fine example of Art Deco architecture, and the new structure of the Trust which will have stronger community involvement and an educational role. Liquor licence freeze in specified areas to continue The freeze on new liquor licences on Oxford Street Darlinghurst, Darlinghurst Road Kings Cross and George Street south will continue for another 12 months. Former Premier Rees introduced the freeze in response to my advocacy to limit the growth in licensed premises in problem areas where there are unreasonable impacts on residential amenity and on police and health resources. ...but Labor and Liberal still in the grip of the AHA The Government and Opposition combined to block my amendment to the Liquor Legislation Amendment Bill to prevent new inner city liquor licences from trading between midnight Sunday and 5.00am Monday. This is the case for the rest of Sydney, but inner city neighbourhoods continue to be the Sunday night venue to get drunk, be violent and mess up the streets. The Government also refused my proposals to make late trading reviewable and enable new licence applications to be refused based on a saturation of licensed premises in a neighbourhood. SEE CLOVER’S SPEECHES in Parliament at www.clovermoore.com/speeches ENVIRONMENT River Red Gums WIN National and regional parks and Indigenous Protected Areas will replace heavy logging in the internationally Ramsar-listed river red gum wetlands. The old-growth river red gum forests support the Murray and Murrumbidgee and provide essential carbon sinks. Yet logging at over double the sustainable rate for low value firewood, fenceposts and railway sleepers has left over 75 per cent of remaining red gum trees in some areas stressed or dying. Evidence shows NSW funds red gum logging at a loss. During debate on the National Park Estate (Riverina Red Gum Reservation) Bill (No.2), I reminded Parliament that the Photo courtesy of National Parks Association river red gum national parks in Victoria created more jobs than logging. But South East Forests still need HELP... My 1993 South East Forests Protection Bill, while blocked in the Upper House by Fred Nile, was used to preserve key wilderness and forest areas when the Carr Government later won office. My submissions, petitions and questions in Parliament are pushing for protection of Mumbulla and Yurammie forests, and koala habitats, which are still at risk from logging, and a stop to the proposed woodchip-fired power station at Eden. Packaging needs legislated controls Products are increasingly being sold within layers of resource-intensive and hard-to-recycle packaging such as plastic, foam, cardboard and steel. This increases litter and landfill; wastes finite resources like fresh water, oil and old growth forests; and creates greenhouse gas emissions. While European countries have strict refill policies, set mandatory recycling targets for material types, and put recycling costs on producers, Australia has only ineffective voluntary codes. In Parliament, I again called for legislation with binding recycling, re-use and production targets; a ban on non-recyclable packaging; and container deposit levies for easy-to-recycle beverage containers. Gardens of Stone VANDALISM A recent report by the Colong Foundation for Wilderness shows underground mining is causing catastrophic damage to the cliff lines, sandstone formations and swamps of the Gardens of Stone, which adjoin the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. In Parliament I asked questions about mining restrictions in sensitive areas, prevention of further damage, and remediation. eNEWS Cliff damage caused by underground mining. Photo by Colong Foundation for Wilderness for Clover’s free weekly eNews subscribe at www.clovermoore.com/enews COMMUNITY Overdue recognition for carers Carers help people who are frail or have a disability, or mental, terminal or chronic illness, saving the NSW health system around $10 billion each year. They help to feed, bathe, dress or administer medication and provide emotional support to isolated people, often at the expense of their own health, and economic and social advancement. The Carers (Recognition) Bill requires government agencies to follow a Carers Charter of Principles and establishes a Carers Advisory Council to advise government, helping to prevent carers being treated merely as a resource and increasing their education, social and work opportunities. During debate I discussed the vital and challenging work of local carers and I have joined the Parliamentary Friends of Carers. F O R G O T T E N Australians I have asked the Community Services Minister to ensure effective use of funds for Forgotten Australians – adults who were raised in orphanages, children’s homes and foster homes. Official reports show that many Forgotten Australians suffered systematic neglect as well as mental, physical and sexual abuse, and some still suffer long-term effects. About 200,000 children in NSW were placed in institutional care from the 1950s, but were forgotten by the bodies responsible for their care. While both the Prime Minister and Premier have apologised, I support community calls for targeted practical information and help. Modest tenancy law improvements The Residential Tenancies Bill fixes some important problems in the existing law to benefit both tenants and landlords. It will be easier to update leases as tenants change in share houses, and to get a landlord’s permission to make minor changes such as hanging pictures. Tenants will have more time to leave a property after they receive notice. I hope that landlords will lift their pet bans with changes that allow them to require professional carpet cleaning, and that allowing landlords to charge water rates will encourage water saving practices and installations in rental properties. Boarders and lodgers were excluded from the bill and I again asked the Government to legislate occupancy agreements to protect their basic rights. Ecologically responsible printing techniques using recycled paper and sustainable forests are used for this newsletter production.