I am among many voters in NSW who vote according to the issues, rather than based on political ideology or party allegiance.
Whilst I am generally supportive of many initiatives undertaken under the leadership of Mike Baird, some issues are cause for serious concern, both because of the initiative itself or the manner in which it was introduced. Better planning is essential in Greater Sydney. The assumption that our population will inexorably increase is patently false when more than 50 per cent of that increase is based on discretionary high levels of immigration.
Amalgamation of local councils across NSW could have been a good initiative in some areas but was botched by lack of transparency and the manner in which these voluntary amalgamations were forced. The Auditor-General clearly showed gross, systemic mismanagement of Crown Land in NSW and the response to devolve the problem is totally inadequate. The proposed sale or lease of Land and Property Information management clearly is not in the public interest, and is opposed by every professional group, which are the core users of our land and property register.
Closing down the Powerhouse Museum in Harris St Ultimo makes no sense. Why not establish several regional museums and rotate the displays? Intervention of the new Premier’s Planning Minister is needed to sort out the impasse and ridiculous situation in Gosford where offi ces are being built on prime (government / public) waterfront land and rezoning proposals are under way to allow 99 metre high buildings to ruin the ambience of the hillsides surrounding the city.
The clearing of natural bushland containing protected fl ora and fauna must cease. Fracking and coal seam gas extraction is damaging the water table of NSW. The Wallarah II mine must not go ahead. It will destroy the water supplies for 400,000 people on the Central Coast. Many perceive a huge, unhealthy and somewhat toxic infl uence being exercised by the Property Council of Australia, Urban Task Force and Committee for Sydney on the policies of the current NSW Liberal National Party Government.
There has been inadequate open and informative consultation on many local issues. The voice of local community based groups must be heard. I wish Ms Berejiklian well in the huge responsibility that she will undertake in leading as Premier of NSW.
Email, Jan 26, 2017 Kevin Armstrong, Tumbi Umbi
This letter first appeared in the Wyong Chronicle Jan 31, 2017