Cronulla MP, Malcolm Kerr today called on local residents to let Planning Minister Frank Sartor hear loud and clear that his proposed ‘compulsory acquisition’ powers are completely unacceptable to our local community.

“Local residents can make a difference by writing or emailing Minister Sartor to tell him that we won’t cop our land being taken compulsorily and on-sold to developers.

“Minister Sartor and State Labor are already trying to cut down on community input to planning issues, through Labor’s draft planning Bill.

“Minister Sartor and State Labor have a track record of not listening to the community as evidenced by the desalination plant, but on this compulsory acquisition issue it is critical they hear the message.

“Residents who have worked hard to get their home and provide for their families should not be subject to Minister Sartor’s whims.

“Minister Sartor is proposing that a Government agency or council could take residents’ homes and on-sell them to developers either for a profit or for some other deal.

“This State Labor Government has shown itself through Wollongong Council dealings to be utterly untrustworthy.

“Right now if a developer wants to buy a residents’ home he has to pay a fair price or it’s no deal.

“Minister Sartor’s compulsory acquisition will allow developers who don’t want to pay a fair price to get a Government agency to compulsorily acquire the home and on-sell it to the developer.

“Residents united can send a clear message to make Labor re-think its despicable proposed compulsory acquisition powers.”