BY ALISTAIR DICKINSON
SYDNEY — A regional environment plan (REP) has been approved by the NSW Labor government that allows large-scale urban development on the 1535-hectare former Australian Defence Industries (ADI) factory site at St Marys, in Sydney's outer-west.
The REP will permit housing, shops and industrial parks. It will be one of the largest development schemes to be undertaken in Australia, involving at least 8000 homes, shops and factories. The ADI development is joint venture between the federal government, which owns the land, and the Lend Lease Corporation.
The January 19 announcement that the state Labor government had given the go-ahead caused bitter disappointment to conservation and local community organisations, which have waged a protracted campaign for the land to be preserved as a regional park and wildlife sanctuary. It is the largest remnant of Cumberland Plain woodland and is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including kangaroos and emus.
Reflecting the local anger, the front page of the January 23 St Marys Star read, "West Sold Out" and "Monster estate gets nod". The Penrith Star declared, "Residents betrayed: ADI site announcement anger".
Public input and consultation into the REP was minimal. The decision to sanction development was far from democratic. It was taken by a state urban affairs department committee known as the section 22 committee, named after the clause in the Urban Affairs Planning Act under which it was formed.
Grassroots community and indigenous organisations were specifically excluded from the committee, although the developers' representatives were allowed, although in a nominally non-voting capacity.
The ADI Residents' Action Group (ADI RAG) has all along attempted to expose the lack of democracy in the planning process, particularly in regard to major decisions that will have irreversible effects if implemented.
ADI RAG has emphasised the environmental importance of the remaining Cumberland Plain woodland, once abundant in the Sydney basin but now endangered. The ADI site has been dubbed "the lungs of western Sydney", as it contributes to atmospheric regeneration, cooling and water supply purification.
The development will cause greater traffic congestion and air and water pollution. It would stretch existing health facilities as no new public hospitals are planned for the region. ADI RAG has questioned the developers' claim that jobs would be created.
Penrith council also has misgivings. The council, reported the Penrith City Star last February, the planned development "is dotted with glaring holes in regard to vital infrastructure such as [a lack of] hospitals, schools and road systems".
The ADI development has been promoted throughout by the federal and NSW governments, with support from the St Marys Chamber of Commerce and most of the local MPs, both ALP and Coalition.
In the face of this bipartisan impasse, and after a considerable period of fruitless lobbying of parliamentarians, ADI RAG is now placing more emphasis on the need to mobilise local people's outrage and forge alliances with like-minded groups in area.
Contact has been made with the Dharug traditional owners of site, who have, since European annexation of their land in the early 1800s, been marginalised and ignored. However, at the launch of a tent protest outside the ADI gates last year, the protesters were welcomed by the traditional owners, who granted permission for the encampment to be on Dharug land.
There is a growing awareness within ADI RAG that the trade unions need to be involved. Several lively and well-attended demonstrations have been held at the ADI site and outside the NSW parliament.
While these have been encouraging and positive features of the campaign to save the ADI site, grassroots support and involvement has still been inadequate.
However, the clear outrage the Labor government's approval of the ADI development has provoked indicates that it is not too late to reverse the decision.
There will be an emergency meeting of ADI RAG on Wednesday, January 31, 7.30pm, in the Penrith City Library theatrette. An open Forum, "Sustainable Development — myth or reality?" will take place on Saturday, February 18, in the function room of the Penrith Swimming Centre, 10am to 4pm.
For more information, contact Alistair Dickinson c/- <sydwest@greenleft.org.au>.