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June 12, 2003
Here's a good line. "Sydney is a great place to live, to work, to visit."
It was made by Lucy Turnbull the new Lord Mayor Sydney over lunch with Maxine McKew.
As they say in politics she say that wouldn't she.
I would question live. It would be if you had lots of money and lived on the Harbour. Life would be sweet and good. You could then forget all about Sydney town being an unsustainable mode of life.
As Lucy Turnball says herself:
"Rule No 1 is making the physical environment safe and friendly. Rule No 2 is creating the sort of social infrastructure that will enhance the city."
And rule no 3 making the city sustainable?
This is a state in which the Carr Labor Government has consistently acted to curtail the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, which incorporated ecological and social considerations, increased the powers of local governments and give citizens the right to object to developments. It has eroded this act has a result of the developmentalist ethos that has ben fuelled and masked by neo-liberalism.
This a developmentalism ethos that is hostile to the right of citizens to object againt specific licence and lease applications, let alone challenge the merit of particular approvals before independent tribunals. You cannot say no to economic development, not even to ensure environmental protection through good planning in Sydney town.
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So much for the safe city - there were a number of emails circulating here at work yesterday, warning females not to use any of the lanes between CBD streets (eg Angel Place etc), because of a bunch of recent rapes and muggings - at 5:30pm....!