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Saturday,
1 November 2003 Media
Release MERITON
APARTMENTS TOLD Last
week Meriton Apartments lodged an application to redevelop a caravan park in
Lansvale potentially displacing up to 1,000 mobile home residents said a
Fairfield Councillor. Fairfield
Councillor Thang Ngo who has led the campaign against the Meriton development of
Landsdowne Park since it was first mooted over six months ago, said that Meriton
was being “greedy”. “Meriton
already owns the caravan park and getting good rental income, what they’re
doing is giving in to pure greed by taking advantage of the current crazy Sydney
housing market” said Cr Ngo. “But
this is at the expense of up to 1,000 tenants who current live on mobile homes
at Landsdowne Park. “Our
local government area is home to many low income and fixed income families and
we can ill afford to lose more affordable housing. Cr
Ngo fears Meriton is attempting to rush through the Development prior to the
Council election in March next year. “Currently,
the Labor party controls Fairfield Council, this may not be the case after the
next council election” said Cr Ngo. According
Greens party study, Meriton donated $274,500 to the NSW Labor party between
1998-2001, making them the single largest contributor to the NSW Labor party in
the property/developer category. "I
would assume developers, when making political contributions are making a
business decision with some perceived commercial returns in the future"
said Cr Ngo. “Even
if it’s access to relevant ministers, it is still a major benefit over
socially disadvantaged residents living in caravans at Lansdowne Park – they
would stand very little chance of seeing the NSW Premier or Planning Minister to
plead their case he said. Cr
Ngo said thus far, the Labor councillors have been non-committal on this issue.
"The 1,000 residents of Lansdowne Park deserve to know if they will
have a roof over their head tomorrow and that the Labor party, which controls
Fairfield Council, will not sell them out tomorrow" said Cr Ngo. |