Speech on 10,000 Signature Petition to Parliament on Randwick Zoning

RANDWICK EDUCATION AND HEALTH SPECIALISATION CENTRE

Page: 17004

Discussion on Petition Signed by 10,000 or More Persons

Mr RON HOENIG (Heffron) [4.59 p.m.]: This draft local environmental plan and development control plan are the result of the former Labor Government indicating that pursuant to the New South Wales Government Metropolitan Strategy (Draft)/East Regional Strategy this area be regarded as a specialist centre. It made excellent planning sense because the Prince of Wales Hospital campus is one of the finest hospitals in the world. The former Labor Government knew that that Randwick area should be a centre of excellence. Streets like High Street were utilised for medical establishments. The strategy of the former Labor Government was to establish a specialised centre, but it has become a medical centre with ample commercial space for medical specialties but with blocks of flats like dog boxes thrown in. They just cannot help themselves. That is what the 10,000 petitioners—many from my area—have taken issue with. The people in Kensington and Kingsford are sick and tired of the overdevelopment in this particular area, of the streets being full of cars, of shoddy developers and of shocking blocks of flats that were built in the Askin days.

What is the position of the Torys in this regard? The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure thinks that this area should have affordable housing for the community, and he considers that to be minor. He does not live in The Spot. He does not live in Randwick. He does not live in Kensington or Kingsford. The only time he is south of the harbour is when he comes into this place. The member for Coogee, who is a member of the Government, can tell the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure to call in this development control plan and say no to flats, say no to dog boxes. Say no, because the people in the electorate of Coogee have had enough. Listen to the 10,000 people who have signed this petition. The gridlock that is being created by overdevelopment in this area and traffic around the University of New South Wales is oppressive.

Mr Bruce Notley-Smith: Look at the blocks under you in Botany.

Mr RON HOENIG: Look at the blocks of flats in your particular area; they are coming out of your ears. You sat there for years on the council allowing all these three-storey—

ACTING-SPEAKER (Mr Gareth Ward): Order!

Mr RON HOENIG: Of course, the people are screaming.

ACTING-SPEAKER (Mr Gareth Ward): Order! I call the member for Coogee to order.

Mr RON HOENIG: They are screaming because they cannot get to the hospital and they cannot get to the university. They cannot get anywhere in the electorate of Coogee.

ACTING-SPEAKER (Mr Gareth Ward): Order! I call the member for Drummoyne to order.

Mr RON HOENIG: The people of Coogee thought they had elected someone who was going to represent them. I urge the member to get his Minister to call in the local environmental plan. Get him to exercise the powers under section 53, section 54 and section 55 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act. I know the Minister cannot read it, but members opposite can. The member should not stand in this House on behalf of the residents of Coogee and sign petitions when he has the legal power to fix it. The plan has been on exhibition. The member should consult the people of Coogee, the people of Heffron and the people of Maroubra. The petition has been signed by more than 10,000 people. [Time expired.]


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