Despite appointing the chair and suggesting candidates for Hawkesbury’s Independent Planning and Assessment Panel, the office of Planning Minister Anthony Roberts has refused to provide the Gazette with any details about them.
From March 1, IHAPs will determine development applications with a value between $5 million and $30 million, rather than Council.
The state government argues that the panels will reduce corruption, take politics out of decisions regarding big developments, and will be more efficient.
When asked for biographical information about Hawkesbury’s panel on February 15, a staffer from the Minister’s office passed the matter on to the Department of Planning’s media unit.
This was after the Gazette was told by council it could not pass over the information by request of the state government.
A further inquiry with the media unit yielded information about the chairperson appointed by the Minister, Alison McCabe, but not the three experts, picked by Hawkesbury Council from a shortlist the Minister provided.
IHAPs are mandatory by law for all Sydney councils.
At the February 13 Council meeting, Council appointed six people to fill positions on the IHAP in a closed session, despite an unsuccessful attempt by some Councillors to have it heard by the public and the press.
Ms McCabe, was appointed directly by Mr Roberts, according to the Department of Planning.
The Department of Planning said Ms McCabe: “[has] worked in the planning field in varied roles as a Town Planner for just over 35 years and have [sic] been a member of the Southern Joint Regional Planning Panel for the last eight years and a member of the Wollongong IHAP for the last nine years”.
Two alternate chairs, Steve Kennedy and David Ryan, have also been appointed, according to the Department. They are not part of the IHAP unless Ms McCabe is unable to chair.
Two positions will be picked from a pool of three experts: John Brunton, Shaun Carter and Michael Harrison. They were chosen by Hawkesbury Council from a list provided by the minister.
At each IHAP meeting two of the three experts with join Ms McCabe.
The fourth and final IHAP position is picked from a pool of three community members appointed by Hawkesbury Council. They are Graham Edds, Paul Rogers and Casey Holtom.
IHAP opponents have argued that the process is “anti-democratic” and gives too much power to a small group of people.
The Department of Planning has estimated the panels will cost $100,000 a year to maintain, and Council will foot the bill, not the state government.