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 Residents take Catherine Hill Bay fight to minister 

Residents take Catherine Hill Bay fight to minister

09 Sep, 2009 05:00 AM
PRESSURE is mounting on Planning Minister Kristina Keneally to overturn a NSW Government rezoning approval for housing at Catherine Hill Bay and Gwandalan.

Ms Keneally said yesterday that she would meet Catherine Hill Bay and Gwandalan residents today, in response to a crucial Land and Environment Court decision last Monday.

Catherine Hill Bay Progress Association president Sue Whyte said: "We want the zoning changed."

Developer Rose Group said people asking the Government to revoke the zoning should consider the facts.

"Revoking the rezoning and stopping development would return 310 hectares of land, now in state ownership, to private hands," Rose managing director Bryan Rose said.

"The green buffer between two rapidly growing urban areas would be dissolved."

The NSW Government rezoned Rose Group land from conservation to residential and approved 600 houses at Catherine Hill Bay and 187 houses at Gwandalan last year.

The court quashed the development approval but did not make a ruling on the rezoning.

Residents did not ask the court to consider the rezoning, fearing it would be difficult to get a favourable decision.

Since their court victory, they believe there is a strong legal case against the rezoning.

The Government signed a memorandum of understanding in 2006 with Rose Group, which gave $143,500 to the Labor Party in the lead-up to the last NSW election.

The memorandum allowed for housing in return for the company handing over land for a national park.

The court judgement said the memorandum was "a land bribe in exchange for rezoning and associated development".

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If the Minister reverses the rezoning decision, does this then mean that the donation to the Labor Party has to be returned to Rose Group? This should be the case as evidently Rose Group's donation could be seen by some as a payment for services rendered at some time in the future.
Posted by Martin C, 9/09/2009 10:27:44 AM, on The Herald
Does this mean approvals in return for donations?
Posted by John, 9/09/2009 12:03:48 PM, on The Herald
The voters of Catherine Hill Bay will still vote Labor. They deserve everything they get.
Posted by Jai, 9/09/2009 1:09:22 PM, on The Herald
of course they will still vote labor as they are ratbags -just ask their local member! he will tell you and anyone else!
Posted by ratbag, 9/09/2009 7:32:51 PM, on The Herald
Catherine Hill Bay progress association. What progress, The village has not progressed for one hundred an sixty years. The only thing that grows in the Bay is the cemetary.
Posted by intouch, 10/09/2009 3:30:51 PM, on The Herald

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REPRIEVE: Catherine Hill Bay is in the spotlight.
REPRIEVE: Catherine Hill Bay is in the spotlight.

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