There was a bit of kerfuffle on Friday but not much. We were told that new home owners in Sydney's northwest and southwest would be slugged up to $800 million in rail levies for railway lines that no longer exist.
Now this passed over most people's heads. However, this is one of those issues that is beyond belief.
What has been happening is exactly what happened in the widening of Windsor Road.
That was paid for by a developer levy, which roughly meant that any developer in the Windsor Road area all those years ago when this program was fighting for widening of Windsor Road, the NSW government said righto, every developer will pay about $30,000 per hectare.
This happened without much complaint.
There was no point in complaining; no one would listen.
Well, now in relation to that northwest heavy rail link, developers in the northwest have already paid that money.
They can't speak, because these poor coots had to sign a deed called the interim land release contribution.
And that was a contract between - you guessed it – Frank Sartor and these people who owned land in the northwest sector and wanted approval, which only he could give, for development.
And basically the applicant would get development consent according to the deed if this money was paid.
Well, why aren't the developers jumping up and down?
Because, according to the deed, "A party may not make press or other announcements or releases relating to this deed and the transactions the subject of this deed".
Now in other words, you'd most probably then be in breach of the deed and forfeit your money.
How draconian this Sartor stuff was on the developer.
Clause 7.9 says, "The applicant agrees at its own expense to do anything the Minister asks ... to show whether the applicant is complying with this deed".
Now imagine it - There are these developers, no wonder they're taking off to Queensland.
They've got land at Baulkham Hills, they have to get Sartor's approval to develop it, and these are the terms on which a development approval will be given.
And this interim land release contribution on one document I've seen was $38.76 per square metre.
And the deed provides that the applicant, that's in order to develop the land, "...must pay the land release contribution to the Minister... whether or not any draft plan or subdivision is lodged with the consent authority for approval. The Minister is not required to repay the applicant".
This is Stalin stuff.
So one developer has paid $398,000 up front to the Government before Baulkham Hills Shire Council could accept the development application to subdivide the land.
There are many developers in the same boat.
That was based on 13 lots at $38.76 per square metre.
Well, the northwest rail link has been scrapped.
These poor coots have asked the Department of Planning, one Mr Stephen Dewick, where's the money?
And these people have been told that "no determination ... had been received from the Government ... and they were awaiting further details."
On other words, the developer is told we've got your money, wait and see and you mightn't even recover the contributions levied on these developers for a now defunct project.
Why the hell would anyone be a developer in New South Wales?
That is theft.
Today we learn the Government's going to overhaul developer levies.
Well, I don't think the Government even knows that this stuff is in place.
Those moneys should be returned immediately. And, in case the Government doesn't know what they are, they are called interim land release contributions.
The word interim has taken on new meaning.
People like Sartor should be in the dock.
