MORE than 100 frustrated residents rallied outside Hawkesbury Council chambers last night to call for a freeze on any progress of the North Richmond development until the ICAC inquiry was complete.
Chanting, clapping and cheering, the protesters also demanded council be more transparent with the community.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has heard Buildev allegedly donated $18,000 to former Hawkesbury mayor, Londonderry MP Bart Bassett’s 2011 state election campaign.
Councillor Barry Calvert was first to address the rowdy crowd, saying the community had been ignored and Hawkesbury Council is ‘‘out of balance and needs a lot more independence’’.
‘‘What does the community get out of this? [the Redbank development]. More traffic, no new infrastructure, we lose a heritage site and we lose our rural outlook,’’ he said.
‘‘You have to ask why has there been such a push for this development to go forward, though the community said no.
‘‘After what’s happened at ICAC in the last week, maybe now we know why.’’
Greens candidate for next year’s state election, Danielle Wheeler said the community was sold out for $18,000.
‘‘This whole business isn’t just nasty, it’s cheap and nasty,’’ she said.
‘‘The community have been sold out for ambition and greed. Who pays? Not the developer, his donation was tax deductible, It’s the people who pay. We have paid with our time and our anger, with our loss of faith and we’ll continue to pay with more time in traffic, less time with our families, lower property values and a lower quality of life.’’
Ms Wheeler said mayor Kim Ford, Mr Bassett’s former state election campaign manager, should also declare a conflict of interest and remove himself from the chamber.
NSW Greens MP David Shoebridge also spoke, saying he was regularly shamed by the state of politics in NSW.
‘‘You are here tonight to demand a very simple thing of your council — to listen to you, hear you and to demand accountability from them,’’ he said. ‘‘This council needs to come out and smell the roses and realise this community is not behind them when they are behind a developer.’’
Mr Bassett has said he refutes allegations that he solicited donations from a prohibited donor prior to the 2011 state election.
Mayor Kim Ford told the Gazette earlier this week he will not stand down from his position.
More to come.
