Comments on: Clown Hall Part 2: Labor digs in for development http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/08/19/clown-hall-part-2-labor-digs-in-for-development/ now with extra source Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:58:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Marcus Strom http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/08/19/clown-hall-part-2-labor-digs-in-for-development/#comment-1391 Marcus Strom Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-1391 Summer Hill ALP invited the developer and a local urban planner to begin a community consultation process about the mill. I produced the 'expensive' leaflet (it cost $480 to have 5000 printed). All our campaign funds are raised locally. We take no money from NSW Labor for this campaign and no money from any corporate developers.<br /><br />There was one heckler trying to make a scurrilous connection, who I assume wrote the drivel above.<br /><br />We put on an ALP meeting to initiate community consultation. I spoke at the meeting emphasising we have no connection with the developer. We didn't hide it was an ALP meeting (well spotted those ALP posters!) I had not met Michael Easson until the meeting on Sunday.<br /><br />Anyone who knows anything about the inner-Sydney ALP would know that Summer Hill branch is one of the most leftwing branches in NSW. (I am branch secretary.) Look at the previous article I have written on Crikey on the ALP. IYou might get a bit of an idea about what our branch thinks of property developers in general.<br /><br />http://tinyurl.com/5572ap<br />http://www.crikey.com.au/Politics/20080508-Whats-the-future-<br />of-unions-within-the-ALP.html<br /><br /><br />Summer Hill ALP does not support the development, or oppose it. We see it as our job to galvanise the community to make sure that the developer doesn't get a free run in what will be a very important and sensitive development. IF the community is not organised to put its views forward, we will be run roughshod over. If the development is in keeping with what the community wants, we will welcome it. IF it is contrary to what is good for the community, we will fight it tooth and claw. Summer Hill ALP has a track record on fighting bad development and bad developers.<br /><br />We have zero support from the developer in the local election. To infer otherwise is just rubbish. Summer Hill ALP invited the developer and a local urban planner to begin a community consultation process about the mill. I produced the ‘expensive’ leaflet (it cost $480 to have 5000 printed). All our campaign funds are raised locally. We take no money from NSW Labor for this campaign and no money from any corporate developers.

There was one heckler trying to make a scurrilous connection, who I assume wrote the drivel above.

We put on an ALP meeting to initiate community consultation. I spoke at the meeting emphasising we have no connection with the developer. We didn’t hide it was an ALP meeting (well spotted those ALP posters!) I had not met Michael Easson until the meeting on Sunday.

Anyone who knows anything about the inner-Sydney ALP would know that Summer Hill branch is one of the most leftwing branches in NSW. (I am branch secretary.) Look at the previous article I have written on Crikey on the ALP. IYou might get a bit of an idea about what our branch thinks of property developers in general.

http://tinyurl.com/5572ap
http://www.crikey.com.au/Politics/20080508-Whats-the-future-
of-unions-within-the-ALP.html

Summer Hill ALP does not support the development, or oppose it. We see it as our job to galvanise the community to make sure that the developer doesn’t get a free run in what will be a very important and sensitive development. IF the community is not organised to put its views forward, we will be run roughshod over. If the development is in keeping with what the community wants, we will welcome it. IF it is contrary to what is good for the community, we will fight it tooth and claw. Summer Hill ALP has a track record on fighting bad development and bad developers.

We have zero support from the developer in the local election. To infer otherwise is just rubbish.

]]> By: Michael Johnston http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/08/19/clown-hall-part-2-labor-digs-in-for-development/#comment-1392 Michael Johnston Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-1392 I was chairperson for the meeting described by your anonymous 'Ashfield Council insider'. It was a public meeting initiated - unapologetically - by the Summer Hill Branch of the ALP. What a surprise that we should display some ALP signs at the meeting! Over 200 citizens attended the meeting.<br />It's not the first time we initiated contact with the owners of this substantial development site. As long ago as 2005 we sought a meeting with the Mill owner but were rebuffed on the basis that they were not prepared to deal with anyone other than elected representatives of the community, viz., the Ashfield Council. This became a circular argument since the owner had put nothing before the Council, hence there was nothing to be consulted about. The ALP persisted with an initiative to bring the developer to the community for the community to gain maximum knowledge of this development.<br />Does your anonymous 'insider' oppose the dissemination of knowledge to the community?<br />Your 'insider' misrepresents the position taken by former Mayor, Rae Jones, failed to outline the almost unanimous resolution passed by the meeting and failed to mention that we had invited an independent urbal planning expert, Dr Susan Thompson, to provide a commentary on the developer's exposition. No member of the ALP including our Council candidate, Mr Alex Lofts, expressed support for the development. The meeting was entirely transparent, unlike your opaque 'Ashfield Council insider'. I was chairperson for the meeting described by your anonymous ‘Ashfield Council insider’. It was a public meeting initiated - unapologetically - by the Summer Hill Branch of the ALP. What a surprise that we should display some ALP signs at the meeting! Over 200 citizens attended the meeting.
It’s not the first time we initiated contact with the owners of this substantial development site. As long ago as 2005 we sought a meeting with the Mill owner but were rebuffed on the basis that they were not prepared to deal with anyone other than elected representatives of the community, viz., the Ashfield Council. This became a circular argument since the owner had put nothing before the Council, hence there was nothing to be consulted about. The ALP persisted with an initiative to bring the developer to the community for the community to gain maximum knowledge of this development.
Does your anonymous ‘insider’ oppose the dissemination of knowledge to the community?
Your ‘insider’ misrepresents the position taken by former Mayor, Rae Jones, failed to outline the almost unanimous resolution passed by the meeting and failed to mention that we had invited an independent urbal planning expert, Dr Susan Thompson, to provide a commentary on the developer’s exposition. No member of the ALP including our Council candidate, Mr Alex Lofts, expressed support for the development. The meeting was entirely transparent, unlike your opaque ‘Ashfield Council insider’.

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