After many in the community made submissions to oppose the SCG Trust’s development applications to spread its offices and gym, earmarked for demolition as part of the stadium redevelopment, into the Entertainment Quarter, the Berejiklian government is now moving to change planning rules to ensure these developments proceed.

A draft State environmental planning policy (SEPP) proposes to make these developments ‘complying’ so a private certifier can tick them off with no public assessment and to allow non-film related development on the site. This follows my questions in Parliament about the proposals’ failure to comply with the existing SEPP.

Changing rules to override normal planning processes and fast track specific development proposals is blatant favouritism and prevents good public outcomes. We are seeing the government bend over backwards to rush through the destructive stadium redevelopment with more decisions being made behind closed doors. The NSW Government has shown no respect for public land or community input.

The consultation period for the draft SEPP is unusually short, with details released on a Friday afternoon while the media was focused on Luke Foley. I encourage you to make a submission by 23 November: HERE.