The Liberal Party (not to be confused with the liberal peoples) has put East Darling Harbour, sorry The Hungry Mile, sorry Barragaroo Bay (!) on the agenda for the upcoming NSW State elections in March saying that it would scrap the development if elected and return the strip to a park and a working port. Chris Hartcher, Liberal Planning spokesman speaking, presumably, in support of urban sprawl says:

“We don’t agree that the CBD needs expanding. It’s close to saturation point already,” he said. “The metropolitan area needs to grow but not necessarily the CBD.”

“Peter Debnam’s plan is wrong,” said the NSW Property Council’s executive director, Ken Morrison. “The CBD needs to grow as this is Australia’s only global city. East Darling Harbour is an opportunity to ensure that this pre-eminent position continues. A choice confronts us when Patrick [stevedores] leaves next year: an empty shed on a concrete slab, or a generous park with an extension of the CBD with hotel, retail and residential development.” #

Does this mean that urban affairs will become the subject of public debate in Sydney? This will be a staggering leap if it transpires; Sydney being the kind of place where public discussion on the built environment stretches at most to poeple complaining about the trains running late and how That-New-Tower-In-The-City looks like Something-Else-That’s-Not-A-Building-That-I-Have-In-My-House.

Updates will be ferocious.

+

Previous EDH gear on gravestmor: Entry.
The shortlist.
Other entries.
Open letter to the Jury.
Slidenights.
Remarch Working Harbour Forum.