This speech was delivered on 26/3/2014 in the NSW Upper House. You can read the full debate online here.
Mr DAVID SHOEBRIDGE [4.43 p.m.]: The Greens support the motion. The people of Bronte wonder how on earth this matter reached this stage. Despite convincing the likes of mayor Sally Betts and having a Liberal-dominated council stand up against it—and being one of the rare occasions on which I agree with Mayor Sally Betts on a planning matter—the community convinced the local planning panel staff that it is an overdevelopment. Time and again they think they win such cases, but this State’s planning system so favours developers that they just walk around the backdoor, hand 20 grand to the Department of Planning and Infrastructure and get their own little spot rezoning.
DEPUTY-PRESIDENT (The Hon. Sarah Mitchell): Order! There is far too much audible conversation in the Chamber. Mr David Shoebridge has the call.
Mr DAVID SHOEBRIDGE: The process is disgraceful and has no place in New South Wales law. The current process is so offensive to good strategic planning it is remarkable that any elected representative could defend it. The people of Bronte want to know who said what to whom, and who has been talking to the Government. They have the right to know that. We support the motion.