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Media Release - Minister's Office Sydney: 21 May 2008 MINISTER CALLS FOR RESIGNATION OF KU-RING-GAI MAYOR AFTER COURT UPHOLDS PLANNING PANEL Planning Minister Frank Sartor today called for the resignation of Ku-ring-gai Mayor Nick Ebbeck after the Land & Environment Court dismissed the Council’s expensive challenge to the NSW Government Ku-ring-gai Planning Panel, on all grounds.
“The Court’s findings are an unequivocal vindication of my actions in appointing the Ku-ring-gai Planning Panel to oversee a number of Council’s planning functions,” Mr Sartor said.
The independent expert panel was appointed to progress proper planning in Ku-ring-gai which had become stalled for years and to give the community greater certainty about the council area’s future development. It was only established after considerable consultation with the Council.
The Council subsequently challenged the validity of the Panel in the Land & Environment Court with a judgement handed down by Justice Biscoe this morning.
The Court rejected all seven of the Council’s claims, including that the Minister failed to take into account the agreed dwelling targets for the Ku-ring-gai local government area consistent with the Metropolitan Strategy.
Mr Sartor said the legal challenge had been an incredible waste of Ku-ring-gai rate payers’ money and the Mayor should take responsibility for leading the Council down this path.
“The panel was established in the best interests of the local community and after extensive consultation with the Mayor and other council representatives,” he said. “At one stage Mr Ebbeck not only supported the panel, but was willing to be part of it.”
“That this challenge has been thrown out by the court on every ground points to it being little more than an expensive stunt led by the Mayor. The Ku-ring-gai community deserves better.”
The NSW Department of Planning intends to seek an order from the court for costs.
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