Once again I reiterate my concern that if this matter is important enough to demand the attention of the long term planning considerations of the City of Sydney, there is no reason it should be a Mayoral minute but stood on the agenda and considered with proper notice.

This appears to be an attempt to have our cake and eat it too.

Given the cavalier approach we have taken in respect of the Southern Industrial LEP, it may well be a great deal to ask the State Government that they support the heavy lifting in respect of urban design and planning for infrastructure such as parks as we wander around greater Sydney lecturing everyone on matters as broad as Freeways and transport.

When we are at home we behave differently sterilising large parcels of land to Residential development and bringing urban renewal to a halt. I doubt the figures quoted in respect of new residential dwellings. On the numbers advanced in this Minute new dwellings would have to be approved at the rate of approximately 4,000 per year.

How many did we manage last year? Less than half that at 2,377. In 2010, we managed to approve only 265. The State Government is going to ask us to lift our game in this respect if we want their help.

We cannot have it both ways with the state Government, they will want us to do our part in respect of urban development and renewal, not just in sporting facilities but in sensible urban planning which the Southern Industrial Area LEP was not.

The alternative vision that I shared provided for 3 Hectares of new parks. Councils proposed LEP went against its own jointly commissioned peer reviewed independent reports.

This Minute asks the Lord Mayor to write to the NSW Government. I would much prefer we name a responsible Minister or the Premier and not just write to him, but engage in some useful dialogue on a range of matters of which this will be a part.

The City of Sydney is a government that is always in opposition. To seek assistance on matters such as this, a sensible approach would be to cooperate on approving the dwellings for the people who we expect will use these parks and will need somewhere to live as well as to play.