An expanded city means a new city strategic plan and a chance to get the balance right. The inner-city population has increased by over a third. Our infrastructure is strained. Our parks are stressed. Our council staff and resources are stretched.

OUR SURVEY OF LORD MAYORAL CANDIDATES
DRAG & 2011 Resident Groups wrote to key candidates questioning them on city planning and citizen consultation.
Respondents: Chris Harris (The Greens) and Dixie Coulton, John Fowler, Matt Laffin and Clover Moore (all Independents).
No reply: Peter Collins (Ind), Michael Lee (ALP) and Shane Mallard (Liberal).

1. A NEW CITY PLAN: THE RESPONDENTS ENDORSE

* A Local Environment Plan housing zoning, heritage and traffic and parking with stringent numeric controls (height, setbacks, FSR or density). Controversial ‘social trade-offs’ with developers would be reviewed, but no variation of more than 10%.

* A heritage audit to protect individual items, precincts and suburbs.
This includes preparing listings for Rosebery Garden Estate and Erskineville Park Housing Estate.

* Reinstating St Johns Church Heritage Precinct on Darlo Ridge (removed in 1998).

* A Sustainable City Development Control Plan to boost Green Controls and enhance the state's New Building Sustainability Index (BASIX).
Regional Bike and Pedestrian Plans and corridors to green our transport.

* Pyrmont Point and Wentworth Park and other public lands remain in public hands and no re-zoning, sale or long-term lease of council land and facilities.

* Incentives to retain socio-economic diversity and address the accommodation crisis in low income and social housing, artists’ studios and small business.

2. SOPHISTICATED STRUCTURES INVOLVING ELEMENTS OF BOTH REPRESENTATIVE AND PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY:

RESPONDENTS SUPPORT: serious, elected and resourced ‘Section 355’ or Neighbourhood Committees; a plebiscite for wards; peer reference groups (eg an industrial committee to protect workers) and an Office of the Public Officer (or Ombudsman).

3. DEVELOPMENT NOTIFICATION

All DAs should have a mandatory minimum period of notification of 21 days with extensions for public holidays to halt DA sneaking. Minutes to be kept for Pre-DA meetings with developers.

4. POWERS OF CENTRAL SYDNEY PLANNING COMMITTEE

over large developments are inappropriate to developments in low-density areas. The CSPC’s powers must be limited to the CBD only, and its 7-members comprise a majority of elected representatives, not government appointees.
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SURVEY PREPARED BY DRAG (DARLINGHURST RESIDENT ACTION GROUP) & 2011 RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION INC
With input from: Chippendale Residents Group, Friends of Pyrmont Point, Pyrmont Community Group, Save Festival Records, Save Erskineville Estate (Heritage Group), and 'The Inner City Times'
Contact: Norman Thompson, DRAG Co-convenors, PO Box 74 Darlo 2010; EMAIL: normanlt@bigpond.com, or Wanda Jaworski, secretary, 2011 Residents, PO Box 1211 Potts Point 1335; EMAIL: rai_4_2011@yahoo.com.au

Candidates responses are edited. For full summaries see their websites