Govt urged to stop pre-election council planning approvals
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North coast conservationists are urging the New South Wales Government to move to stop local councils making major planning decisions ahead of elections.
The North Coast Environment Council says at least three different north coast councils have approved controversial developments this week.
President Jim Morrisom says it has been while they have been in 'caretaker mode', in the lead up to this weekend's council poll.
He says an example is the Kempsey council's conditional approval of a development application for new sporting fields at South West Rocks.
"The area has acid sulphate soils and the actual cost of the extension of the sporting fields is largely unknown due to the acid sulphate problem," he said.
"What we've got now is council now making a decision and it will be up to the new council to sort out the financial problems that arise from this development as well as the threatened species issues."
Jim Morrison says the Nambucca council's approval of a residential subdivision on environmentally sensitive land is another example.
"It's a six-lot rural subdivision in core koala habitat, also a controversial decision on threatened species issues, it seems a few councils try to push through these issues to advantage their re-election," he said.
