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Media Release - Department of Planning Sydney: 1 December 2008 LETTER TO THE EDITOR OF THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD REGARDING LAND RELEASE The NSW Department of Planning remains committed to orderly land release in metropolitan Sydney and across NSW (Developers push into fringeville, SMH, November 20-30, 2008) This will involve the integration of infrastructure and environmental issues with the release of new land, rather than ad hoc land release. The amalgamation of the Growth Centres Commission with the Department in fact will help spread this approach across the State, not just in Sydney’s growth centres. Furthermore, the Metropolitan Development Program (MDP) does not ‘bypass’ councils but is a decades-old NSW Government program to organise land releases, including releases progressed by local councils. It simply highlights land ready to proceed rezoning investigations. Furthermore, our planning reforms are introducing a new local environmental plan 'gateway' process which will specifically support orderly land release, by defining infrastructure and environmental issues which need to be addressed early in the rezoning process. Sam Haddad Director-General NSW Department of Planning MEDIA CONTACTS: Department of Planning Media Unit Phone (02) 9228 6295 Facsimile (02) 9228 6564 23-33 Bridge Street SYDNEY NSW 2000 © NSW Department of Planning