Let Sydney grow or lose $6b: developers

The NSW Urban Taskforce issued a report, Imagine NSW Without Development, to the Herald in response to what it sees as anti-growth politicking before the election on March 24.

The group wants communities in Sydney to accept bigger buildings in their midst and for the city's overall footprint to grow.

"It is easy to say that Sydney is full, that no further greenfield development should occur, or that no further infill development should be allowed, but where will all the people of Sydney and NSW live?" said the Taskforce's CEO, Terry Barnes.

He added: "We recognised that while such a position could be described as highly improbable, the economic modelling of the 'no growth' scenario clearly demonstrates the value of the housing sector to the NSW economy."

The lobby group says that 216,000 jobs a year in the construction industry would be lost if expansion cannot continue. Over the next four years $6.6 billion in direct investment in the building industry would be lost.

Claims by the State Opposition that Sydney's CBD is already at capacity have received a cold response from the property industry. And the Liberals' policy of reviewing the plans for new residences and office space at the wharves of East Darling Harbour has raised concerns. The taskforce is also responding to resistance by some councils to the Department of Planning's strategy for managing population growth in Sydney.

However, the president of the Local Government Association, Genia McCaffery, said most councils had tried to accommodate the state's plans for urban consolidation.

"Our concern is that we have done our part of the bargain but the State Government is not fulfilling its part of the bargain in terms of providing basic infrastructure for a growing population," she said.

Many local resident action groups have bitterly opposed the Government's urban consolidation plans.

In the riverside suburb of Putney, neighbouring Gladesville, some residents say the Government's decision to allow the Royal Rehabilitation Centre Sydney in Ryde to sell 18 hectares of land to developers will result in a doubling of the population with the construction of nearly 800 dwellings.

Rolf Clapham, a Putney protester and chairman of the Coalition Against Private Overdevelopment, said the Urban Taskforce's decision to research the consequences of no development was ridiculous.

"We want development. We just don't want it to be up to six-storey-high towers and totally ignoring RTA traffic guidelines," he said. "I think it's really clear that [protest groups] are not against development; they are against our democracy being taken away and instead planning being driven by big developer groups."

In the inner-city suburb of Chippendale residents are concerned about the State Government's plans for an $800 million development on the site of the old Carlton United Brewery.

The Minister for Planning, Frank Sartor, this month approved a concept plan for the site that would allow for the construction of 2800 residences on the 5.8-hectare site, and enough commercial space to employ 4800 people.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/let-sydney-grow-or-lose-6b-developers/2007/02/25/1172338469675.html