Foreshores public submission response documents released – after a fight

DURING the Public Exhibition of the Jetty Revitalisation proposal in June 2025, 1724 public submissions were lodged.

Foreshore For All Inc. says that although originally advised that the submissions would be made available for public perusal, that did not occur.

A GIPA request (Government Information Public Access) was initially lodged by ‘Jetty Foreshores – Let’s Own Our Future’, requesting access to the Department of Planning Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) submissions review report.

That report was released, with the Foreshores group then submitting another GIPA requesting the Property Development NSW (PDNSW) Response to Submission Report.

This GIPA was refused with one of the reasons being “that release of the report in its current form would likely attract further correspondence and comment from the community.

“This will divert the use of Department resources, which otherwise would be employed in its critical appraisal and in-depth review of planning and rezoning functions.

“It would also divert community attention and resources to responding to issues that may not, in the end, be relevant.“

However, the group is now optimistic that the PDNSW response to the DPHI submissions review report will be released on 18 February.
But only after a fight.

After the first request was denied, a team comprising both “Jetty Foreshores – Let’s Own Our Future” and “Foreshores For All”, travelled to Lismore to meet with NSW Upper House MLC Sue Higginson.

The team asked if she could assist by requesting the release of the draft ‘Submission Review Response’, on the floor of Parliament.

Ms Higginson presented the case for release of the document to the Legislative Council via a Standing Order.

She told the Chamber that her motion simply sought the production of a very specific, existing document and the related documents to it.

“It simply goes to the integrity of the planning system and the planning process and also the credibility of public exhibition,” she said.

“It is dealing with a fairly controversial development matter, namely the privatisation of really valuable public coastal foreshore land, rich in cultural heritage, social and environmental value.

“The proposal was publicly exhibited, it attracted substantial community submissions.

“Community participation only has meaning if there is genuine transparency about how submissions are assessed and how they’re responded to.”

Ms Higginson’s motion was carried and the documents were ordered to be released within 14 days.

By Andrew VIVIAN