March 21st, 2007
Dr Alex Wodak, Director of Drug and Alcohol Services at St Vincent’s Hospital, on ABC 702:
VIRGINIA TRIOLI (ABC 702 presenter): Do you think the Greens are on the right track here with their [drug] policy?
DR WODAK: Yes, I do. Yes I do… the plain fact is that, whether we like it or not, the war on drugs has failed, and failed miserably… [ABC 702 Mornings 15 March 2007]
Dr Fares Samara, MD, FAChAM (Fellow of the Australasian Chapter of Addictions Medicine): “As a specialist in this field, I wholeheartedly support the Green Party’s policy on drugs and congratulate them for their courage and honesty… And also urge the other parties to have the same courage and adopt harm minimisation policies without hesitation.” Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Health, NSW Government
March 15th, 2007
Greens MP Lee Rhiannon yesterday rejected accusations that The Greens party supports the sale of the drug “ice” (crystal methamphetamine), instead laying the blame for the drug epidemic on the failed policies of the major parties.
“The allegation in yesterday’s Daily Telegraph that the Greens policy would allow people to buy unlimited amounts of the deadly drug ‘ice’ is totally false,” Ms Rhiannon said.
“The Greens policy does not support unlimited supply of any drug, least of all crystal methamphetamine.” Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Health, NSW Government
March 11th, 2007
Any move to restrict public access to Sydney Harbour in favour of ‘rich boys with their floating toys’ is the clearest demonstration of how badly the Labor Party has lost its way and abrogated its philosophical roots.
Ports Minister Joe Tripodi’s move to weaken controls over foreshore development on Sydney Harbour does exactly this. It all but undoes the 2002 ‘Sharing Sydney Harbour’ initiative of the Carr Government.
A fundamental part of that initiative was The Regional Environment Plan (REP) for the harbour which has very clear objectives, including these clauses:
(b) the public good has precedence over the private good whenever and whatever change is proposed for Sydney Harbour or its foreshores,
(c) protection of the natural assets of Sydney Harbour has precedence over all other interests.
The REP was given real teeth via the powers of Landowner’s Consent vested in NSW Maritime.
Currently, NSW Maritime must apply REP principles when Landowner’s Consent is requested for a proposed development application (DA).
If NSW Maritime refuses consent, the DA cannot then proceed to the next relevant authority, for example a municipal council.
It is a strong, accountable two-tier procedure which can stop inappropriate developments early in the process, especially as refusal of Landowners’ consent is not subject to appeal.
However, without explanation or consultation, Joe Tripodi wants to give NSW Maritime ‘discretion’ to ignore REP principles when granting landowners consent. Put another way, owner’s consent could not be refused on the grounds of REP provisions. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Environment, Development, NSW Government
March 9th, 2007
Top prosecutor Nicholas Cowdery, QC, described the NSW State Plan as ‘ludicrous’ in the SMH today. He’s the only Department Head who is game to criticise the government as he enjoys a lifetime appointment.
It’s the same conclusion we came to, although more on environmental grounds than legal ones.
It is such a transparent load of glossy spin it beggars belief that the government has been wasting taxpayers’ money by advertising it on prime-time TV.
Premier Iemma said the plan was a result of ‘thousands of submissions’ from the public. What an insult to the intelligence when standard procedure is to take the submissions, ignore all those that differ from the existing agenda and then carry on regardless.
To crown the cynicism, they titled it ‘A new direction for NSW’. Since when was planning to increase road transport emissions, burning more coal and law-and-order auctions a ‘new direction’?
Anyone considering voting for it really needs to read our brief analysis (link above) and about the equally ludicrous Sydney Transport Plan.
Posted in NSW Government
March 8th, 2007
Major litigation commenced yesterday challenging the Minister for Planning Frank Sartor’s approval of the concept plans for the Carlton United Brewery (CUB) site at Chippendale.
Matthew Drake-Brockman, a city resident, is asking the Land and Environment Court to declare Minister Sartor’s approval invalid because he says the Minister failed to take into account climate change pollution to be caused by the project. Matthew is supported by Greens Deputy Lord Mayor Chris Harris who is the only councillor on the City of Sydney Council who consistently opposed the plans for this site.
Cr. Chris Harris: “This litigation is not about stopping development, it’s about achieving sustainable development at a time when climate change is the biggest threat to our community.
“The case brings to the city the legal arguments raised last year over the Anvil Hill coal mine in the Hunter Valley in which the Court held the Minister was required by NSW planning laws to consider the impact of climate change pollution. What we have with the CUB site is the equivalent of an urban coal mine. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Environment, Development, NSW Government
