Barangaroo Part 3A Petition Speech - Clover Mooore

Barangaroo is a unique harbour side site adjacent to the city. It provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create new foreshore parks and walkways that integrate with the CBD and to provide needed office accommodation, housing, shops and cultural venues. It is Sydney’s opportunity to lead the world in design excellence and in creating a sustainable, low carbon community.

Last week I presented a petition to the House signed by over 11,000 people from my Sydney electorate and across the wider Sydney and NSW community.

The petition expressed significant concern about process, consultation, design and environmental impacts that need to be addressed.

I welcome Minister Hazzard’s commitment to hear the community’s views and review the Barangaroo project to get a better outcome.

The project so far has been railroaded under a secretive planning process that has lacked accountability and transparency. Barangaroo should have been planned in an accountable and consultative way by the City of Sydney as the city planning authority, with public meetings and open debate, with plans clearly explained and discussed, and with public comment progressively documented and acted upon.

Instead, decisions were made by successive Ministers under Part 3A, which has been an ongoing abuse of our planning laws, promoting backroom dealing that excluded communities. I led opposition against Part 3A in the Legislative Assembly and have opposed it every step of the way.

So I ask the new Government to act on its commitment to “scrap” part 3A and I call for a planning system overhaul that restores real community involvement, and strong environment and heritage protection.

It is equally urgent that the Government publicly guarantee safe and effective site remediation for Barangaroo. The site is severely contaminated and existing project approvals do not ensure the harbour is protected from pollution nor do they transparently provide for effective remediation to protect future workers, residents and visitors.