This is an excerpt from the 2000 word report recently released by Friends of Glenhaven DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION – PUBLIC PLACE OF WORSHIP 1 LARAPINTA PLACE, GLENHAVEN
Commissioner Joanne Gray of the Land and Environment Court of NSW, this date, 28 March 2022, approved the development of a Place of Public Worship (Masjid) at 1 Larapinta Place, Glenhaven.
In doing so, Commissioner Gray found all matters submitted by the Glenhaven community as irrelevant and all information presented by The Hills Shire Council as inferior or irrelevant to the information submitted by the Applicant.
In fact, Council was unsuccessful in receiving a positive response from Commissioner Gray on any critical point raised, points that would have given a reason to refuse this development.
A POOR DECISION
In our view, this is a poor decision, so heavily weighted in favour of the Applicant. Clearly as a community in Glenhaven, we do not count, nor does it appear that any consideration was given to the public interest.
This application was recommended for refusal by Council on two occasions and then the Sydney Central City Planning Panel after exhaustive consideration following a mammoth 6-hour public hearing. The ‘system’ has bent over backwards for the Applicant, yet as a community we received zero consideration.
WHERE IS THE OBJECTIVITY
It was probably easier for the Commissioner to approve this development, by labelling everything put forward by Council and the residents as irrelevant.
It is easy for someone who does not live in the suburb, it is easy for someone who won’t be impacted by the development, and easy for someone who won’t be held responsible when it becomes a compliance nightmare. It is also easy for someone to approve something rather than have the courage to say no.
What does irrelevant really mean? We will let you be the judge again. There are so many more anomalies in this judgement that defy common sense and logic, which we could comment on. Best to leave you with a copy of the judgement.
https://www.caselaw.nsw.gov.au/ decision/17fb925e0cf5a0b463341721
This is not over.
Rick Allison
Committee Friends of Glenhaven
Any inquiries contact Allen Barry by email: [email protected]
